The One That Didn't Get Away
by BecomeMyObsession
Summary: Damon Salvatore – Alist celebrity, notorious womanizer and all round arrogant ass. Elena Gilbert - Small town girl, big heart, hates Damon Salvatore with a passion. What happens when the two are forced on a three week camping trip together? She starts out as a challenge, but three weeks is an awfully long time to keep up pretences. AU/AH
1. Chapter 1

**The One That Didn't Get Away, **_Chapter One_

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_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything you may recognize. Any relation to my version of the characters and real life persons is purely coincidental. There is no copyright infringement intended.**_

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"I can't believe it! How had the journalists not picked up on this! Or the paparazzi? I mean they follow him around _all_ the time; you would think something like this would have been found out about five minutes after it happened!" Caroline slammed the latest edition of 'Ok!' magazine down on the table in front of her and pointed at the cover with one perfectly manicured nail.

Bonnie looked up from last week's edition of 'Vogue' her hazel eyes widening when they landed on what Caroline was pointing at. "Seriously?" She squeaked in a voice that was completely abnormal for Bonnie. When Caroline nodded; her bright blue eyes still round as saucers. Bonnie's own smile grew into a full blown grin. "Elena! Elena! You _have_ to see this. Look!" She gushed.

Elena paid no attention; her eyes still lost in the pages of her book. She turned a page, licking her lips as she greedily took in the words. She was involved in a world full of unrequited love, deceit and control. She could feel her heart pounding as she nervously bit her lip; she had no idea if she could trust this man or not. He seemed nice; but you could never judge someone by face value. The book was suddenly wrenched from her grip and she looked up in shock.

Caroline had her novel dangling in-between two of her fingers almost as though the book held some sort of disease that she would catch if she held it too closely. Elena scowled at her best friend. She was a great person; but she should seriously know by now not to take a book from her when she was reading it. "Caroline!" She hissed as her friend folded the page she was on in half and dumped it on the table.

Caroline blinked and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry 'Lena." She knew Elena hated it when someone folded the pages of a book. "But, seriously! You have to see this." Bonnie nodded enthusiastically and picked the magazine Caroline was reading earlier and shoved it at Elena.

Elena caught it and placed it in her lap, looking at it if was some kind of disgrace to literature. "Okay." She looked at her friends. "What am I supposed to be looking at?" The sooner she got this over and done with the sooner she could get back to her book. Winston and Julia had just snuck into O'Brian's apartment to meet him together; she didn't know if she could trust O'Brian, it seemed like they could but Elena never judged someone by face value – they always had some hidden agenda. Bonnie stretched one expertly filed nail and tapped something on the front cover of the magazine.

Elena raised an eyebrow when she read the headline. _Of course_, she should have guessed. Only one thing would get her friends so wound up and excited that they had to tear Elena away from her book to show her. She scanned the headline again and rolled her eyes at her friends' obsessive fan-girl attitude towards this one celebrity male. **"DAMON SALVATORE SPOTTED KISSING BLOND WOMAN"** that wasn't out of the ordinary; there had been hundreds of these headlines. Elena rolled her eyes again and looked up; meeting the excited eyes of her two best friends. "So? What's different about this? Damon's always kissing some new woman." She tossed the magazine onto the glass coffee table in front of her and reached for her book.

Caroline swiped the book out of the reach before she could touch it and scowled. "You didn't read the writing under it. That was the important bit." She whined. Bonnie nodded in agreement held up the magazine again so Elena could read it.

Elena narrowed her eyes at her friend and shook her head; but reigned herself in and read it anyway. **"It has been officially confirmed girls! Damon Salvatore has split with his girlfriend of five years – famous Hollywood model Katherine Pierce - two months ago and since then has remained utterly single! He told us that… (Cont: pg 25.)" **

"Finally!" Caroline exclaimed.

"It's unbelievable! After five horrible tormented years he has finally split with _The Vampire._"

Elena rolled her eyes at her friends. _The Vampire_. Was the nickname they had for the one and only Katherine Pierce. They called her it ever since she had started to pick up a reputation for dating males and then leaving them high and dry. Elena had never seen her friends so devastated when it was announced that Damon Salvatore was officially dating Katherine Pierce. They had nothing else to talk about for weeks; every time they saw each other they would launch into some new debate about why _The Vampire_ was the worst possible person for their favourite celebrity: Damon Salvatore.

"It isn't such a big deal. It's not like they were tied to each other anyway." Elena tore the magazine from Bonnie's hand and turned it to page 25. "Damon was always being found with some other poor woman in his bed." It was true. Damon Salvatore was the world's most notorious womanizer. Any woman he found partially attractive he would flirt with shamelessly, and he would always win: and the next morning the poor girl would wake up in _his_ bed, knowing exactly what was coming next._ The walk of shame. _

"Just because you hate him Elena; doesn't mean we have to as well." _That was true too. _Bonnie and Caroline were her two closest friends; but she was completely different to the both of them. Well when it came to celebrities anyway. They were both devoted to _The Salvatore's_. Which included Damon Salvatore and his younger – not so famous – brother; Stefan Salvatore. They both preferred Damon, but when it came to Salvatore trivia they knew absolutely everything about them. From their favourite colours to what brand of boxers they wore. Whilst Elena knew nothing, apart from what Caroline and Bonnie had drilled into her head over and over so much that it was impossible to forget.

Their ages, for example was something Elena knew because her friends had celebrated The Salvatore's birthdays ever since she could remember. Stefan was 17, their age and only got his big break because his older – sexier – brother was already massive in the world. Damon Salvatore – the sex symbol for all single and taken women around and the role model for all single and taken men – was 24. As far as Elena knew; she was the only one who _hated _him, with a passion. He was so big-headed she was surprised his head didn't explode whenever he walked into a crowded room, he flirted with every member of the opposite sex, it seemed as if lived his life with his downstairs brain not his upstairs one. And on top of all that; _he knew it!_ He knew he was arrogant and cocky and he mastered everything he did with such an air of self-confidence and fluidity.

"He's a dick." Was Elena's not so dignified reply.

"I bet he has a nice dick." Caroline giggled and Bonnie joined in. Elena sighed in exasperation, she was never going to get anywhere with these two. She looked back down at the magazine, scowling at the smirking photo of Damon on the right hand side of the page.

What irked Elena the most was that he was so god damn sexy he got away with everything! He had a lean build with perfectly chiselled features and a defined jaw-line. His jet black hair always seemed as though he had just rolled out of bed; but in the perfect messy style. It always looked as though it was begging to have hands running through it; _which it probably did _Elena thought bitterly. And he had the most gorgeous eyes. They were this shade of blue which you could never place; the colours always seemed to swirl together and change in whatever light he was in. If he wasn't so bloody sexy then he would have been kicked out of the celebrity world ages ago for his pompousness. But because women fawned over him wherever he went and younger men looked up to him due to his fortune in life he was practically worshipped by the rest of the celebrity world.

"Read it out loud 'Lena!" Elena looked up at Bonnie and Caroline who had stopped talking and were now looking at her expectedly.

Elena shook her head. "Oh no. You know I hate this stuff. You read it." She shoved it at Bonnie who caught it before it fell to the floor.

"Fine." She grumbled. Elena knew she hated reading aloud, and Caroline always stuttered. So really; Elena was the best person. But she wouldn't read that aloud. Not gossip magazines. If someone like Jeremy – her younger brother – who knew she hated this stuff walked in; she would never live it down.

Bonnie started off timidly but her voice grew louder quite quickly as she grew in confidence; talking about Damon was something she was an expert at. This wasn't that different. **"(Cont from front page.) He told us that… he plans to remain single for a while. Have fun and enjoy life (not that he hasn't been doing that anyway girls…) He also told us that he has no intention of settling down for a long time so there's plenty of time for his fans to "have a go." (Always a good thing for us women out there, right?)" **Elena shuddered in disgust. ** "While we were talking to him we managed to find time for a quick interview which I'm sure all you girls will be thrilled to hear." **Bonnie trailed off, swallowed and looked up at her two friends who were watching her; both with completely different emotions playing on their faces.

"Carry on Bonnie. I'm_ dying _to hear the interview." Elena stated sarcastically and slumped back on the sofa, crossing her arms and staring at the ceiling looking as though she wanted to pull her hair out.

"Bonnieee." Caroline whined and gestured at the magazine. She really _was_ dying to hear the interview. Bonnie sat stock still with the magazine still tightly in her hands; it seemed as though she had gone into shock. _Why? _Elena had no idea. Caroline sighed and shook her head. "Jesus Bon. You always do this. As soon as something interesting about Damon pops up you start daydreaming about him." She muttered and then giggled. "Not that daydreaming about Damon is a bad thing; there are just certain times you shouldn't. Like when were in the middle of reading an interview with him!" She leaned forward and snatched the magazine from her friend's hands and placed it on her own lap. **"So Damon, now that you have finished filming your latest blockbuster; what are you planning to do next?" **Caroline squinted her eyes at Damon's answer. **"O-Oh. I hav-have-a"**

Elena released a breath and puffed out her cheeks. When it came to reading what Damon's answers were Caroline's stutter always got worse. It was ridiculous. She took the magazine carefully from her friend's tightly grasped hands; Caroline shot her a look of relief. Elena shook her head and rolled her eyes. No matter how much she hated Damon – bloody – Salvatore she always seemed to end up reading his answers when her friends decided to read his interviews out loud. She didn't even know why she still refused every time; it would always come back in a circle and she would end up doing it anyway.

She lowered her voice and slowed it down; in her best mimic of Damon she could. The same voice she always used when reading his words, it made it less serious for her. Since she hated him; it made her feel better, proving to herself and anyone nearby at the time that she wasn't changing her mind about him. **"Oh. I have a few surprises in store." **

Caroline moved so she was peering over Elena's shoulder; knowing how this routine went. She would be the interviewer and Elena would pretend to be Damon and Bonnie would watch and giggle quietly to herself. Elena looked up and her suspicions were confirmed, Bonnie was biting back a laugh as she watched her two best friends. **"(Interviewer laughs) Anything special for us girls?" **

"**Definitely. It's a special surprise for **_**everyone**_**. (Winks.)" **Elena added an especially cheesy wink on the end which made Bonnie burst into giggles.

"**(Flirts) I don't suppose you would be able to tell us a mini little thing you're planning?" **Caroline placed her had on Elena's shoulder in a flirty way and Elena grabbed it, grinning coyly at her friend.

"**Oh, I don't know. It's not just my place to say. Let's just say I am going travelling this summer for a while." **

Caroline pouted for effect, but added chirpily. **"So, you're going travelling? Anywhere in particular?" **

Elena shifted uncomfortably on the sofa; something about this was causing warning bells in her stomach. **"If I told you I would have to kill you. (Grins cheekily.)" **

"**Oh really? That is a shame. (Smiles flirtatiously) So are you visiting anyone?"**

"**No-one in particular. Just an old friend from college. (Half smiles.)" **Elena turned the half-smile into a full blown grin and rolled her eyes.

"**You keep in contact with friends from before you were famous? That's so sweet." **Caroline frowned; not knowing this fact. She didn't know he even still had friends from college.

"**Only the bare minimal. (Winks.) This one's important and he's well informed. (Grins flirtatiously.)" **Elena added to the flirtatious grin by pulling Caroline's hand forward so she lost balance and fell over the top of the low sofa. Elena giggled as she dodged Caroline falling on top of her.

Caroline stuck her tongue out at her friend. She should have known that was going to happen; Elena always pulled that trick and she always fell for it, every time. **"So, what's this guy's name? Maybe we've heard of him." **

"**His name is not something I am at liberty to announce…yet." **Elena could just picture his little smug smirk.

"**I am afraid that was all we had time for. Damon was needed for a meeting which we were not allowed into (I know, disappointing. ) But I am sure we will have more juicy gossip for all your girls next week! Until then; keep reading 'Ok!' magazine for celebrity news that you just **_**have**_** to know…" **Caroline and Bonnie's faces dropped when the interview was over.

"Unbelievable. Guys, he's a womanizing dick!" Elena exclaimed at their two fallen faces.

"Who's a womanizing dick?" Jeremy appeared at the front door, covered in sweat, and slumped onto the sofa next to Bonnie. She squealed and jumped up, running to the other side of the room. Jeremy grinned at her reaction. "It's seriously hot out there."

"Damon Salvatore is a womanizing dick. I don't see why women fawn all over him like lost puppies." Elena growled before eyeing Jeremy carefully. "It's that hot out there?" She noted his exhausted face.

He nodded. "Yeah. The temperatures picked up in the last hour. It's close to boiling now, I swear!" He exclaimed and wiped his hand across his forehead shaking the sweat droplets of his hand. The girls watched him in disgust. "Anyway. Elena, I can see why you hate this Damon dude. But he's a celebrity. It's not as if you're ever going to meet him, so there's no need to worry."

"I will meet him one day. If it's the last thing I do." Caroline uttered, Bonnie nodded in agreement.

Elena rolled her eyes. "It's their fault he even crosses my mind. If it was up to me I wouldn't even know he existed."

"You don't mean that Elena." Bonnie mimicked Caroline's pout perfectly.

Elena nodded slowly. "Yes, yes I do."

"Not that I'm complaining 'Lena, but every other girl I know is obsessed with Damon Salvatore." Jeremy stood up and walked over to the magazine which was still in Elena's lap and held it up to his face, examining the photograph of Damon carefully. "I mean, you can see why. He makes practically every guy so jealous we want to rip our own heads off." He chucked spitefully and dropped the magazine back on the table.

"He's a dick, who only wants women for their bodies." Elena countered. "I don't know what's worse, that he's a good looking womanizing dick, or that he's a famous womanizing dick." She scowled. "He gives young boys the wrong impression of females." She folded her arms and looked away from her friends and brother.

"So you admit he's good looking!" Bonnie exclaimed proudly, as though she had accomplished something.

"I never said he wasn't." Elena mumbled, still turned away.

"He's not just good looking, he's a sex god. One smouldering look from him and any girl would practically melt into a puddle on the floor." Caroline stared into the distance dreamily.

"Apart from Elena." Bonnie muttered bitterly.

Elena's head snapped in Bonnie's direction. "You say that like it's a bad thing." She narrowed her eyes. "At least I can stand on my own two feet without some guy being able to control me!"

Bonnie's own eyes narrowed angrily. "I am a perfectly independent woman."

Elena scoffed. "You say that now, but as soon as Damon Salvatore pops up on the TV or in some stupid celeb mag you practically turn into a bubbling wreck, and you have never even met him!"

"At least I know how to have fun!" Bonnie growled.

Elena stood up sharply. "I know how to have to fun. I just don't think talking and fussing over a celebrity that's an asshole and uses women for pleasure is fun for me." She hissed and stormed over to where her book sat abandoned on the table and picked it up.

Bonnie stood up to and marched over to Elena, so they were a foot apart. Caroline watched them silently; used to their arguments by now. Bonnie reached out and grabbed the book in Elena's grasp and wrenched it free, throwing it across the room. Jeremy caught it reflexly and sat down next to Caroline; she screwed her nose up from the smell and scooted away from him. "All you do is read those boring books!"

"They are classics! Maybe if you stopped fawning over celebrities you would see the benefits of reading a classic book instead of all this rubbish." She picked up the 'Ok!' magazine and shook it in Bonnie's face.

Bonnie grabbed Elena's wrist and held it in the air. "If its rubbish then why do other people read it?" She hissed.

Elena wrenched her arm free and pushed Bonnie's back. "Because you're all stupid girls who are controlled by the celebrity world and not by your own lives!"

"At least we have people to look up too." Her eyes flickered to the picture of Damon on the front page and back to Elena.

"I do have someone to look up too!" Elena yelled throwing the magazine at Bonnie.

"Oh yeah? Who?" Bonnie sneered as the magazine dropped to the floor.

"GIRLS!" They both froze and turned slowly to face Jenna in the doorway. "Stop arguing over pointless things."

Elena opened her mouth to protest but one look from her Aunt and she snapped her mouth closed again and looked at the floor in defeat. Bonnie copied her movements, looking at the magazine hopelessly.

"What were they arguing about this time?" Alaric popped up behind Jenna and wrapped his arms around her waist.

She leaned into him, smiling slightly. "Who do you think?" She laughed lightly.

Elena and Bonnie both knew Jenna's laugh meant they were off the hook. They both stepped apart and slumped down in separate chairs not looking at each other. Jeremy chuckled at the two of them. "The one and only Damon Salvatore." He answered his Aunt's question.

"Again?" Alaric's face dropped slightly, and he bit his lip. But the younger people in the room weren't looking at him; Bonnie and Elena were looking at the wall, Jeremy was grinning, amused, to himself and Caroline was biting her lip nervously. He briefly wondered if he had done the right thing, but shook the feeling off. There was nothing he could do about it.

"What else do they argue about?" Jenna asked him; knowing why he was worrying. She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and smiled.

He opened his mouth to answer, but closed it realizing there wasn't anything. He briefly closed his eyes and ran his hand through his hair, before turning and leaving the room again. Jenna sighed, briefly scanning the room in front of her before disappearing off the way her husband went. Knowing she had to reassure him he was doing the right thing. Even if she wasn't so sure herself.

Elena finally turned to look at Bonnie now her Aunt and Ric were out the room. Bonnie turned and looked at her apologetically and Elena matched her expression. "I'm sorry I said celebrities rule your life. They don't." Elena mumbled.

"And I'm sorry I said all you do is read those boring books. They're not boring and you do other things too." Bonnie smiled guiltily.

They both locked eyes and giggled. "We did it again." Bonnie announced.

Elena nodded. "We did indeed."

Caroline and Jeremy grinned. Bonnie and Elena argued nearly every day about the celebrity world. They always vowed they wouldn't, and then they did. It was normal, and they supposed; a part of family life. Bonnie was like a sister to Elena and so was Caroline. They were all like a large dysfunctional family; so therefore they argued like one too.

"Elena." Elena looked at Jeremy and he chucked her book at her.

She caught it easily and reopened it, scowling at Caroline as she smoothed out the folded page. Caroline rolled her eyes and went back to examining her nails. Bonnie checked her phone and grinned slightly when she realized she had one unopened message from Tyler.

Elena caught her smiling to herself and frowned knowing who it was. "I thought I told you to stop texting him."

Bonnie blushed when she realised everyone was looking at her. "I didn't text him. He texted me!" She defended and looked back at the unopened message.

Jeremy scoffed. "You're still talking to that douche? Come on Bon. He cheated on you."

"We don't know for sure!" She shot back.

He laughed harshly. "He accidently rang you and you heard a woman moaning on the other side. What do you think he was doing?"

Caroline shot him a harsh look. "She's right. He could have been watching TV."

"They don't show that stuff until late at night. It was 7am!"

"Shut it Jer. We don't know for sure; you're not making anything better." Elena growled.

Bonnie sniffled. "I don't know what to do. Do I confront him?"

"I think you should ask him what he was doing at Seven yesterday." Caroline wrapped her arm around Bonnie.

"But don't tell him that he phoned you. If he tells you something completely different to what you heard then you know he's lying." Jeremy's face fell. "And therefore cheating." He added.

Bonnie looked up at him and smiled slightly; Jeremy smiled back. Caroline and Elena shared a look, knowing what was slowly happening between their best friend and Elena's brother. The only problem was Jeremy had a girlfriend. Anna. "I don't think you should ask him until after the camping trip." Elena spoke up. Bonnie looked up confused. "Only because then no-one will be hurt beforehand." _And then her brother could get his emotions with Anna and Bonnie sorted out. _She added in her head. Caroline nodded in agreement, knowing Anna and Tyler could be the ones getting hurt in the end.

Elena wondered when feelings became so complicated.

* * *

In the other room Ric was pacing backwards and forwards, one of his hands tangled in his hair and the other tightly grasped onto his cell phone. Jenna stood in the doorway, biting her lip. She hesitantly took one step forward, but quickly took it back again and went back to hovering the doorway.

"_I don't know what to do Jenna._" He closed his eyes and slumped against the far wall, running his hand once again through his already messed up hair.

"Elena's not a child Ric." She smiled softly, but her eyes clearly showed her worry.

"I know. But she _hates_ him. This will not end well Jenna; I can feel it." He grimaced and peered up at Jenna through his lashes. "Someone's gonna die by the end of Summer. I just know it."

Jenna laughed quietly and walked over to him, kicking the door shut behind her. She placed her hands on his shoulders. "It's going to be fine. I promise." She didn't know if she could keep that promise. "Call him." She added, gesturing at the phone in his hand.

"And what do I say? 'Sorry Damon. I know you're an A-list celebrity and everything but I'm afraid you can't come with us because my step-niece absolutely loathes you, and I am slightly afraid one of you will be dead by the end of the day.' That would not go down well Jenna."

She sighed. "Tell him the truth. Maybe he will understand."

Ric shook his head. "He is exactly as the media portray him Jen. Arrogant and pig-headed. He won't listen."

Jenna stepped back, crossed her arms and frowned. "Try it."

He shook his head again and looked at the phone nervously in his hand. "I can't. He's probably busy. In a meeting, with friends, or a girl…" He trailed off and looked back at Jenna hopefully.

She had her 'this means business face' on and he knew immediately she was going to get her way. "You have three options. A) You call him. B) I call him. And that's probably not the best idea; since he's a womanizing celebrity and I'm a woman. Or C) None of us call him; he shows up anyway and you don't get any sex for two months." She grinned triumphantly.

Ric frowned. "You're such a nice person." He stated sarcastically.

Jenna smiled playfully. "And you know it."

He sighed and unlocked his phone. Waving Jenna off playfully as he pressed the speed-dial for Damon. He grimaced as he held it to his ear and listened to the ringing tone. Jenna sat down and watched him. It rang five times before he heard the click, signalling someone had picked up. "_Hello_ _Ricky Boy_." His voice drawled from the other side of the phone.

"Damon." He stated.

"_Alaric_." Came the mimicking reply and Ric rolled his eyes, signalling his throat being cut which made Jenna chuckle. "_Is that a woman I hear laughing in the background Ric? What are you up too?_"

Ric could just picture Damon's smirk as he made his friend uncomfortable. He glared at the phone. "It's Jenna." He shot a quick glance her way; she was watching him curiously. "My girlfriend." He added for good measure. She gave him thumbs up and he smiled slightly at her.

"_Is she hot?"_

His eyes widened and his eyes once again flashed to Jenna. His grip tightened on the phone. _"Damon."_ He hissed.

There was a slow chuckle from the other end. "_Just curious,_" and although he couldn't see him he knew Damon would have one of his hands up in mock surrender. "_Soooo Ric. Was there an actual reason you called? Or did you just want to hear my voice?_"

Ric rolled his eyes at his friend's sarcastically arrogant statement. "That's right Damon. I just _couldn't_ wait to hear your amazingly sexy voice despite the fact I am seeing you in two days time."

He could hear Damon's soft laughing through the phone_. "Oh, how you wound me Ricky Boy." _There was a pause from the other side and Ric heard someone shouting something, to which Damon replied, 'in a minute.' _"Listen Ric; I've got to go. Hectic lifestyle and all that. I need to finish all my bookings before I come down, that way there's less chance of anyone following me._"

Ric nodded although Damon couldn't see him. He took a deep breath and exhaled. "That's the problem." He winced as he finished his sentence; Jenna watched him closely.

"_What's the problem Ric; you're not bailing on me are you….?"_ Came the cocky reply.

Ric shook his head immediately and closed his eyes. "No – it's. It's just that-"

"_Spit it out Ric, I'm a very busy person you know."_ He could practically feel Damon rolling his eyes in impatience.

He took a deep breath. "My step-niece hates you." He blurted. His eyes widened and he covered his mouth with his hand. This was a bad, no good, _very_ bad idea. Telling the person who your step-niece hates that she hates you could go either of two ways; but either way it meant Damon would have the advantage. _Damn. _He should have thought this through.

There was a disbelieving laugh from the other side of the phone. "_What?_"

Ric sighed. "It's true. She does, with a vengeance." He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"_Seriously? There's a girl who hates me? Wow, never saw that one coming." _There was a light laugh and then a pause. Ric closed his eyes and trekked over to where Jenna was sitting and leaned against the table. _"How old is she?" _

Ric's eyes widened at the reply and he immediately shook his head. "I can't tell you that."

There was a laugh; this time louder than the others. "_Calm down Ric. All I want to know is her age; in any case I'm meeting her soon. Otherwise you wouldn't have told me. So there's really no problem in telling me information that I will find out anyway."_

Ric reached out and Jenna linked her hand with his. "She's Seventeen." He breathed out. Jenna's eyes widened when she realized what Damon had asked. She shook her head sharply and Ric sent her an apologetic look.

"_Hmm…"_ He purred. "_Perfect age_."

"Damon." Ric warned. Jenna sent him a panicked look and he pulled the phone away from his ear and put it on loud speaker. Carefully watching the door; knowing anyone could walk through it.

"_Simmer down Ric; I won't even go near her."_ He chuckled.

Ric sat down on the table, placing the phone between them and grimacing. "Somehow I find that hard to believe." Jenna sat and listened, her mouth partially open in shock that she was actually listening to an A-list celebrity on the phone. She briefly hoped no-one was hacking into their phones at the moment.

"_I'm sure you do."_ Ric could picture Damon smirking and he watched Jenna as she bit her lip to stop herself from retorting. _"So, why does the lovely lady hate me?" _

Ric shook his head. "I'm not completely sure."

"_Sooo,"_ his voice drawled "_you know she hates me, but not why. I find that hard to believe…_"

Ric tightened his hand into a fist at his friends tormenting voice. It was hard not to feel threatened by the star. "Sorry Damon. No idea."

There was a playful whine from the phone. "_Come onnnn Ric. I know you know why."_

"Sorry Damon." He shook his head and shot a quick glance at the door.

"_Please?"_

"No."

"_Pretty please?" _Ric could picture Damon's fake pout easily; he had seen it many times.

"No."

"_Now I really want to know."_ There was a brief pause. "_You know I'll find out anyway._" He sang patronizingly.

"Damo-"

"Oh, for God's sake. She doesn't like you because you're a pompous stuck up celebrity ass who always has some woman in his bed." Jenna interrupted growling.

Silence.

Ric stared at Jenna in shock, his eyes wide. Jenna blushed and looked down, _oops._

"_Hmm… How long have you had me on speaker phone Ricky Boy?" _Ric could just picture Damon with one eyebrow raised disbelievingly.

"Long enough." He replied.

There was a brief chuckle from the other side. "_Well… Hellooo Jenna_." Jenna blushed again and looked away from the phone as if Damon could see her through it. "_Thank you for your __honest__ reply. Can't say I have much to say to that besides its probably true_." There was a moment of silence and then a chuckle. "_Scratch that. Very true._"

"God, he really is an ass." Jenna mumbled.

"_Still on speaker phone… he can heaaar youuu_." He sang and Jenna's mouth snapped shut and she glared at the phone.

Ric shook his head and placed his hand over Jenna's. Knowing how easy it was for Damon to get into your head and turn you into a gibbering mess. She shot him a thankful look before staring at the ceiling. "Damon. I only rang to inform you; just so you know you don't have to come."

Another chuckle. "_Oh, I'm still coming alright. This is going to be fuuun_."

Ric frowned at the phone. "Elena is a strong independent woman. She knows what she's doing." His eyes widened when he realized he had given Damon her name. He had this knack of making things slip out even if you didn't want to say them. Please say he didn't notice his slip up.

Of course, Ric wasn't going to get his wish. "_Elena__. That's her name? __Elenaaa__. Such a pretty name."_

"_Damon._" Ric growled.

Damon ignored him. "_Damn, now I really am late for this meeting_." But he laughed all the same. "_Friday; 9am at the grill. I'll be there. See you then!"_ He said cheerfully and before Ric could add anything in he hung up the phone. Silence. The dial tone echoed throughout the room.

They both looked at each other and grimaced. This was not going to go well. Ric opened the door for Jenna to go through; as he pulled it open Jeremy came tumbling through the threshold. Jenna and Ric looked at him in surprise as he landed on his knees in front of them. He quickly scrambled to his feet; blocking the doorway. Shock written all over his features. "Was that who I think it was?" He pointed at the phone in Ric's hand.

Ric gulped and locked eyes with a confused and shocked Jeremy. He opened his mouth to answer when his phone buzzed; he looked down thankful for the brief break which gave him time to think of something to say to Jeremy. But his thanks didn't last long as his phone flashed with:

**One New Message: Damon Salvatore.**

He swallowed and pressed the open button. Not knowing the simple black words written on the white back ground were the words which would change everything.

_**Challenge accepted. ;)**_

* * *

_**A.N/ Likey or no likey?**_

_**This is my first AH fanfiction; I wanted to be able to shake the characters up a little and try something different. This seemed the way to do it. **_

_**I have this idea rattling around in my brain for a while now, and, well I thought it was probably time to release it unto the world.  
**_

_**Did anyone get the book Elena was reading? It's a classic. Love it. **_

_**I am giving this story an M rating, although they probably won't be any smut in it for awhile; or maybe at all. It depends on whether they carry on cracking down on the explicit stuff. I don't want this taken down.**_

_**I should be able to update rather quickly if people like. I have other fanfictions on the go; but if people like this then I can always shift my attentions. This fic has a lot of potential and I'm excited to start writing it.**_

_**I don't have a beta or a proof reader, so I apologise in advance for any grammatical or spelling mistakes. I have looked through it the best I could, but you know, with your own writings you always seem to miss something out.**_

_**-N x**_


	2. Chapter 2

**The One That Didn't Get Away,** _Chapter Two_

* * *

___**Disclaimer: I do not own anything you may recognize. Any relation to my version of the characters and real life persons is purely coincidental. There is no copyright infringement intended.**_

* * *

**_Damon Salvatore_**

* * *

"There's a cast meeting at ten, your booking with Tempest Studios is at two, at three you have the press conference, you have to meet with your agent at four, at five you have to be at L&M Records; it's important so you can't be late. Klaus and Elijah will meet you there. At six thirty is the photo shoot-"

"—Hold it. What? Since when did I have a photo shoot?" Damon cut off his rambling PA, narrowing his eyes at the red headed girl. He had barely gotten through the Studio's door before she came bounding up, enthusiastically spilling his days' appointments so fast that he could barely keep up.

She hesitated slightly, blinking up at him. He sighed in irritation; _why had he hired her again? _She nervously tucked her hair behind her ear and picked up her pace so she could keep up with him as he stormed off. "I told you yesterday Mr Salvatore."

He groaned and threw his head back in exasperation, coming to an abrupt halt. She almost walked into him. "I wasn't listening!" He leaned back against the wall, crossed his arms and scowled. "Cancel it. I have things to do."

Her eyes widened briefly and she shook her head. "I can't cancel it Mr Salvatore, that's not in my job description."

He paused slightly, a slow seductive smirk curving on his lips. He scanned her body slowly, smirking to himself when she visibly shuddered, "hmm, and what exactly _is_ in your job description Vicki Donavan?" He purred.

She swallowed, her eyes widening, "n-not that Mr Salvatore."

"I've told you before Vicki," he drawled, "call me Damon."

She bit her lip and looked up at him. "I can't Mr Salvatore; our relationship is nothing personal." Her voice wavered slightly and Damon knew he was winning.

He saddled forward and put his hands on her shoulders so he could lean down. "You cancel that photo shoot and you can call me whatever you want princess." He blew gently in her ear so she shivered. Damon grinned triumphantly as she hesitated, quickly nodded and scurried away. Somewhere deep down inside him he knew it was wrong to use his body to get people to do what he wanted; but he buried that feeling as far as it would go. His body was what got him this far and it hadn't failed him yet.

"_Damon_."

He turned automatically at the sound of his name, and rolled his eyes when he recognised who it was trotting towards him. _Now_ he remembered why he had hired Vicki as his PA. "Matt." He returned, turning on his killer watt smirk for a second.

"What were you doing with my sister?"

Damon smirked and resumed his walk towards his dressing room. "What you were implying with 'doing'. I was just having an innocent little chat with my PA about my bookings," he grinned, "isn't that what PA's are_ supposed _to do?"

Matt frowned as he fell into step beside Damon. "I know what I saw Damon, don't try and hide it, you were hitting on my sister-"

"-I don't 'hit' on girls." Damon butted in; not denying the accusation. It wasn't like he regretted it. So why should he pretend he did? Damon Salvatore may be many things; but a liar was not one of them.

"No?" He scoffed. "Oh, I'm sorry. You seduce them, sleep with them and then dump them the next day." Matt narrowed his eyes at his co-worker. "I stand corrected."

Damon gasped dramatically. "Oh Matt! When you say it like that it sounds _so_ harsh." He smirked and rolled his eyes.

"It's disgusting."

"I may have slept with many members of the female population; but I assure you, every single one has been one hundred percent willing," he smirked, "_more_ than willing." He winked.

"It's still disgusting. You use women for sex, and nothing else." He gritted his teeth. "I have ignored your womanizing habits because it had nothing to do with me-" he paused and narrowed his eyes "-but go near my sister again; and I will _make_ it my business."

Damon's hand flashed out and grabbed Matt's upper arm. He tightened his grip and stepped forwards, so he blocked Matt's path. "Was that a threat? I don't respond well to threats Matt." He spoke through gritted teeth. "You of all people should know that."

It was true. Matt had been working around Damon for a few years, he knew wherever he went there would be work. Even if it was only as a minor character. This was because actors and actresses who were new to the acting career knew they would never get a chance at being noticed if Damon was around. So they dropped out as soon as he stepped in, and Matt followed suit. Of course, it was obvious that Damon would have noticed Matt following him; even if he had never mentioned it before now.

He swallowed and looked away from Damon; he was really intimidating when he wanted to be. _Which was most of the time_. He made the people around him – including Matt himself – feel like shit on the bottom of his shoe. _And he didn't even have to try._ "It's my sister man."

"I know she's your sister man." He mocked. "That's the only reason she got the job; well that and the fact she's hot." He grinned.

Matt grimaced. Vicki had been in desperate need for a job, she had no money and Matt was barely scraping by on the minor pieces he participated in, so he couldn't provide for her. Damon had given her the job - knowing she had no experience – because he knew that Matt was struggling and that Vicki would end up on the streets otherwise. He tried to ignore Damon's remark on her being hot; he didn't want to be thinking of his sister that way. "Please Damon."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Relax dude. Let us have our fun."

"You mean, let me have _my _fun while I fuck her and leave her." Matt countered.

"I pride myself on making sex pleasurable to my bed partner as well as myself." Damon drawled.

"It's disgraceful."

"It's harmless."

They had resumed their walking, and were now outside Damon's private dressing room. "Please Damon. She has a big heart and falls easily." Matt reached out and tried to grasp Damon's wrist, but Damon wrenched it away and opened the door.

He simply shrugged nonchalantly. "That's her fault." He shut the door in Matt's face.

* * *

Ten-o-clock rolled around quickly and Damon found himself glaring at the offending clock in his dressing room. He really couldn't be bothered with the cast meeting; they were always the same thing.

He pushed himself up from the couch and gave the woman still on the couch a quick once over. She had fallen asleep and the blanket she had wrapped around herself was scarcely covering her naked body. A smug smile found its way to his lips. He had completely worn her out.

He stretched his arms outwards until his hands cracked and ran his hand through his hair as he stared at her, contemplating waking her up. He glanced at the clock; 10.05. _He was already late._ She should wake up while he was gone anyway, and she already knew she should leave. Damon didn't do relationships. Katherine was a prime example of that. They had not once stayed loyal to each other; he didn't know why they had decided to try the official relationship thing anyway. It was clear neither of them would stick to it. _Oh well_, he thought, _she was good in bed_.

His eyes shamelessly swept over her again, he noticed that she had a bracelet on the wrist of the hand that was loosely gripping onto the blanket. The letter 'G' twinkled in the dim lighting of the room. _Greta. _He grinned to himself. Greta was the director's daughter; she dropped off her father's coffee every morning as he never had time in the morning to grab it himself. He had noticed her watching him for the past week as she left the building; glancing towards his dressing room as discreetly as she could. He had surprised her this morning by waiting outside his dressing room as she walked past; her eyes had widened to an unbelievable size and all he had to do was gesture to inside his dressing room and she, after a brief hesitation, followed him in. He wondered when girls had become so easy; he supposed it was because of who he was. Who were they to pass of such a big opportunity? He smirked to himself and shook his head. _All the more for him_. Though he did miss the whole 'chase and catch' part of the sex world. He wondered how long he would have to chase a girl for her to finally give into him. He doubted it would be for long.

He shook away his thoughts and picked up his jeans from the floor, quickly jumping into them and then turned looking for his shirt. His eyes fell upon Greta once again and he scowled at the still sleeping girl; she had his shirt tucked underneath her head. She seemed to be using it for a pillow. He wouldn't be able to move it without her waking up. And waking her up meant dealing with her. And that was not something he wanted to do. He rolled his eyes. _Typical. _He couldn't walk into the cast meeting with no shirt. Although it would be delightful for the women there, he wasn't _that _easy.

He grinned to himself, thankful that he was in _his_ dressing room. It meant there would be spare shirts. He strolled over to the dresser which held his personal clothes and pulled out a short sleeved, dark blue, button up shirt. He quickly buttoned it up and glanced at the clock again. 10.15. He was now fifteen minutes late. He grabbed his leather jacket from where it was thrown on the back of a chair and threw it over his shoulder, keeping one finger hooked into the collar. He briefly turned to eye the girl again; she was still out of it. He shrugged and left his dressing room, shutting the door behind him.

He didn't bother knocking; he pushed open the door to the conference room to find Jonas already in full ramble. As he entered, the seven people in the room fell silent. "Damon, how nice of you to join us." Jonas was stood in the gap in the middle of the semi-circle table.

"Oh, you know me Jonas. I have a reputation to keep up." He sauntered into the room, sending an arrogant smirk towards his baby brother who scowled at him. He hung his jacket on the back of the chair and plonked down into his designated seat. "Where's my PA?"

"_Vicki, _should be here. I thought she was with you." Matt put emphasis on his sister's name, glaring at Damon accusingly.

Damon held up his hands in fake surrender. "I haven't touched her…" the unspoken 'yet' hung heavy between them and Damon shrugged; sending a sly smirk in Matt's direction.

Before Matt could get another word in Vicki burst into the room; her notepad tightly grasped in her hands. She looked wildly around the room; her eyes settling on Jonas. "I'm _so_ sorry I'm late, I was on the phone to Mr Salvatore's agent." Her eyes flickered to Damon. "He wouldn't let me cancel your photo shoot; it's important to promote the film. He told me he would call you later to reschedule." She smiled shyly.

"At least I have tonight free." He winked in her direction. She flushed and scurried over to the corner of the room, sitting down and gripping her pen tightly in her hands. Matt silently seethed beside him; he shot him a smug smile.

"As I was saying before we were interrupted." Jonas shot a pointed glare in Damon's direction. "Tomorrow is the last day of shooting. We still have three scenes to shoot so it's going to be a tight squeeze. Therefore I expect you to all be here on time." He shot another glare in Damon's direction; Damon rolled his eyes. "That means 5am sharp Damon. The scene involves the sunrise. So we only have limited time."

"And why are we using the sunrise exactly? We never clarified that. This is an action movie; not a romance." Damon raised both his eyebrows.

"The point is to show that you and your brother can reconcile; even after a woman has played you against each other."

"When you put it like that it sounds like a romance." Trevor muttered.

Jonas sighed. "The film is about deceit and betrayal. Not romance Trevor."

"I think you need lessons in the English Language Trev." Kol smirked.

Mason snorted, a loud unpleasant sound. "I'm sure there's a dictionary lying around somewhere."

Kol snickered and high fived Mason across the table.

"Har har." Trevor rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. "If anyone needs lessons; it will be you two for manners."

"Because you're _oh_ so perfect, aren't you?" Kol scoffed.

"Where was your loyalty man?" Mason shook his head in fake disgust, shooting a look at Rose. She glared in return and placed a hand on Trevor's arm. He shot her a relieved look when she smiled at him.

Damon shot Mason a look. "You're talking about loyalty? You're the most dishonourable person here."

"Aww, Salvatore. You upset I slept with your little kitty kat?"

Damon raised an eyebrow. "_Mine_?" He shook his head and scoffed. "She was never fully mine to begin with. I wouldn't want her." He chuckled spitefully. "I'm just surprised she was fucking _you_."

At Mason's expression he smirked. "Aww, did I hurt your ikkle feelings Lockwood?"

Mason growled. "Watch your back Salvatore."

Damon dramatically widened his eyes. "Oh, I am _so_ scared."

"_Romance_: Tender feelings, experiences, and qualities connected with love." Kol waved the dictionary he had found in the air, grinning at Trevor's expression as he dropped back into his seat.

"Oh no, were not going back to this." Matt sighed and closed his eyes in exasperation. Stefan glanced at him, grimacing.

"What?" Trevor scowled. "Where did you find that?"

"Vicki had one. You were all too distracted to notice that I had gotten up." He smirked.

"Why the hell does my PA have a dictionary?" Damon swivelled in his seat; Vicki looked away from his penetrating gaze.

"So she can keep up with the perplex words Jonas loves to use." Kol winked.

Damon nodded in agreement. "You do like playing with the thesaurus." He smirked at Jonas.

Jonas sighed. "I figured this would happen-"

"-what would happen?" Kol tilted his head.

Jonas glared at him. "That you wouldn't let me speak." He sighed. "I had my son create a summary sheet of everything we _should_ have discussed today." He gestured behind him and Luka; the teenage boy standing silently behind him - who had been watching the back and forth banter between the actors - stepped forwards and handed his father a pile of paper. "Don't lose it."

Why do you always look at me?" Damon whined, fake pouting at the stern glare he was getting from Jonas.

"Because you're always the one who loses things." Rose muttered.

"And you're always late." Trevor added.

"We can never rely on you-" Matt sighed.

"-and your totally unpredictable." Stefan finished off.

"Aww thanks guys, I'm feelin' the love." Damon rolled his eyes.

"Maybe it's you who needs lessons." Kol smirked.

Mason snickered. "Yeah, in punctuality."

They high fived again.

"As I said earlier, I have a reputation to keep up." Damon countered; he shot them a sardonic smile. "More then what I can say for you two."

"Oof, burn." Trevor muttered. Kol and Mason glared at him; he crossed his arms and matched their glares.

"GUYS!" Jonas shouted, exasperated. There was a small cough from within the room; everyone looked at Rose who pointed at herself. "And girl." Rose nodded. "Due to all your pointless bickering we have run out of time-"

"To be honest; there isn't much to be said. Tomorrow is the last day. If it's that important it would have already been said." Damon pointed out.

"Sometimes, Damon, we need things repeating. It's easy to forget." Stefan sighed.

"We don't all have personal assistants like you to note everything down. Some of us have to use our own brains." Matt muttered.

Damon chuckled. "Touché."

"Will you _listen?_" All heads once again snapped back to Jonas. "As I was saying, Luka will hand out the sheets and I'll see you in the rehearsal room at 5am sharp tomorrow morning."

"Aye aye captain." Kol saluted, and before anyone could get another word in edgeways he stood up and disappeared out of the room.

"He forgot his summary sheet."

* * *

"_Is it true you slept with another woman while seeing Katherine?"_

"_Were you secretly married?"_

"_Is it true you got Katherine pregnant-" _

"_-and you forced her to abort it?" _

"_Did you know Katherine was seeing your fellow co-star under your nose?" _

"_Can you tell us anything else that is happening?"_

Damon casually took of his shades, slipping them into the front pocket on his leather jacket and pulled open the door to the studio with the same hand. He held the door open with his foot as he ran his hand through his hair; he sighed and pivoted on his heels to face the paparazzi.

"I slept with many women while with Katherine." He tilted his head and gave them his signature smirk. "Then again, you already knew that." He purred and winked at the female who was holding a mic in his face. He got the reaction he wanted; she blushed a bright shade of red and dropped the mic so she could take a step backwards. He grinned at her seductively and rolled his eyes at the other mics which were still pushed into his face. The flashing cameras were giving him a headache. "We were not secretly married-" He shook his head and chuckled, "and she definitely wasn't pregnant. Whatever gave you _that _idea? Has poor little_ Kitty Kat _been spreading rumours again?" He smirked and ignored the onslaught of new questions they fired at him: _'Why should we believe you over her?' 'Is it true she caught you in bed with your co-star Rose?' 'Are you going to carry on being single or are you thinking of settling down?'_

"Yes, I knew what was going on between Katherine and Mason – do you really think they could keep anything from me?" He drawled, "we weren't exactly the most loyal couple." He grinned and manoeuvred himself so he could shut the door. "I am afraid that is all I can say in this present moment; very hectic life schedule." He stated in a semi-mock serious voice before slamming the door in their faces, once again running his left hand through his hair. In his right hand was his well earned starbucks espresso and tucked under his arm was his latest script which was scheduled to be screened in the fall.

There was a fake gasp from behind him. "Ooh, are the paparazzi _finally_ getting to Damon Salvatore?" A voice drawled.

His lips slowly twitched up into his famous smirk and he turned around to face one of his best friends. One of the only ones he hadn't slept with. "Ooh, is Alexia Branson sticking her nose in things which aren't her business again?" He mimicked her tone as he strolled up to her.

Her lips turned up into a mocking smile. "Oh, you know me Damon. I'm _always_ prying into other people's lives." She rolled her eyes and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"For an ex-journalist I wouldn't expect anything less." He grinned.

She returned the grin. "I missed you," she pulled him in for a hug. He wrapped his arms around her, being careful not to drop his espresso and the script, and hugged her back.

"I missed you too Lex. It's so boring without you around to keep me entertained." He sighed dramatically, pulling back and holding her at arm's length.

She smirked. "I'm sure all the poor woman you have bedded in the past month were enough to keep you entertained."

"Hmm" He purred. "I'm sure you could keep my attention for longer." He winked.

"You have been trying to get me to sleep with you for years. Suck it up Salvatore. It's so not happening." She laughed.

He fake pouted, sending a innocent smile in her direction. "It was worth a try."

"Mmm. I'm sure it was." She chuckled and looked over his shoulder at the door behind him. "So where's your brother?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "He's around somewhere. Probably moping in his dressing room about having to shoot an entire film with his older and sexier brother."

She laughed. "Why did you agree to work together again?"

He pulled a face. "Jonas thought it would be a good idea to actually _have_ two brothers in a film centred around two brothers. We're the most famous brother duo around, so our agents thought it would be good publicity if we filmed a movie together." He smirked. "Also the ratings of a film go sky high if one of us is in it, imagine the fuss if were _both_ in a film." He waggled his eyebrows.

"Ahh yes. The famous 'Salvatore brothers.'" She smirked.

"I'm still the hotter, sexier one."

"Your brothers a rising star." She pointed out.

Damon grimaced. "I know. Which is why I can't be late for the meeting at L&M Records, and why I am going to a remote town in the middle of nowhere this summer." He pulled a face.

She knew not to ask why he was travelling. He wouldn't be allowed to say. "Not everything's a competition between you and your brother you know." She sighed.

He scrunched up his face. "Yeah it is."

She rolled her eyes; knowing she couldn't push the issue. "Sooo, is that a new film script?" She pointed at the wad of papers under his arm.

He laughed. "Ye'p'. I just picked it up. It's with Tempest Studios."

"Tempest Studios? The new movie company?"

He nodded. "Yeah, figured I'd give them a bit of publicity. Plus there's high hopes for them."

She tilted her head. "Sometimes you're sweet."

"Me sweet?" He chuckled. "Hot? Sexy? Alluring? Charming? Seductive? Yes. _Sweet?_ No."

"You do realize a lot of those words mean the same thing." She laughed.

He shrugged innocently. "What can I say? My spoken language skills are awesome."

Lexi rolled her eyes. "If you say so."

"Soooo," he drawled "what brings you to my part of the neighbourhood?"

"I was looking for Rose. We're meeting for lunch, were going over a business proposal. She's going to model for my new range of dresses."

"From journalist to clothes designer."

"It was a big jump, I know. But_ LB Clothing_ has a ring to it; don't you think?" She beamed.

He nodded and chuckled. "Well Lex. If you ever need anyone to model men's clothing. I'm your man."

She fake gasped. "Damon Salvatore offering to model for my little clothing brand? What did I ever do to deserve this?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I don't model anymore. But for you I can make an exception." He smirked.

"Hmm." Her brown eyes glinted. "I may just take you up on that in the future."

"You do that." He grinned. "Just give me a week's warning, I am a very busy person you know."

"You sure the week isn't just so you can hit the gym?"

He chuckled. "_Maybe. _Even though I would never need it with a body like mine." He winked.

"You keep believing that." She patted his chest.

He opened his mouth to retaliate when someone cleared their throat from behind them. He slowly turned to find the female reporter from earlier. He raised his eyebrows. "Can I help you?"

"Mr Salvatore; can I ask you a few questions?" She stepped forwards, now full of confidence she was lacking earlier.

"Urghh." He groaned and threw his head back in annoyance. "_Why_ do people call me _Mr Salvatore_? I'm an actor, not a business man."

"I do believe, _Mr Salvatore_, its called manners." Lexi raised her eyebrows at him sarcastically and smiled softly at the female reporter.

"Well... little miss female reporter." Damon drawled. "Call me Damon. You are-?" He pulled a face. "How did you manage to get in here anyway? It's supposed to be guarded."

"They needed coffee." She shrugged like it was the simplest thing in the word. "I'm Andie Starr, reporter for the L.A Times." She walked forwards until she was a foot away from them both and tossed her short wavy hair over her shoulder.

"Well _Andie Starr_." He purred. "Why don't you come with me and we shall answer _all_ those questions in your pretty head." He placed his hand on her lower back and started to lead her away. He looked back over his shoulder at Lexi. "I'll see you later Lex. This is too good of an offer to turn down." She rolled her eyes in response. He winked and led Andie towards his dressing room. Fully intending to answer the questions in her head that she deemed forbidden to speak out loud.

* * *

The next few hours flew by, thanks to the help of his new little reporter friend. She didn't put up much of a fight. Not that he expected her too. _God, he sounded like a serial killer_.

He sighed wistfully; someday he wanted someone to come along who would fight back enough that it would be worth it when he won in the end. _Which he would._ He knew he would. He just wanted to be able to experience the rush, the triumph that came when you successfully seduced a girl into bed without her knowing you were some superstar. Sometimes he really did the 'good old days.' When girls reacted to him purely because of his body and not because of his status. What he would give for that. _Just once._

He shook his head from his thoughts, thankful that the dreaded press conference was over. He hated those things. They used every opportunity they could to squeeze as much personal information out of him as possible. He didn't know what was worse; the paparazzi following you in the street or the paparazzi all crowded together all shouting over one another. They were always begging for attention. He smirked to himself when images of paparazzi dogs holding cameras appeared in his head. _Woof._

"Damon." He turned his head as Jonas rounded the corner and caught up to him. "Harper is in the conference room waiting for you."

Damon checked his watch. _3.45_. His agent was fifteen minutes early. He rolled his eyes and shrugged. He had nothing else to do till five. He may as well...

Just then his phone rang. He grinned to himself, thankful to whoever it was from saving him having to turn up early to a meeting he didn't even want to go too. He fished the phone out of his jean pocket and unlocked the screen.

_Incoming call: Ric._

* * *

_**A.N/ OMG! I can't believe how many reviews you people wrote for chapter one. To say I'm thrilled is an understatement! I have never had so many on one chapter before. Thank you! :D.**  
_

_****__**I am going on a weeks holiday tomorrow morning, early. :(. Camping - fun. Not. So the next update will probably be around next Tuesday.**_

**_It's 1.53am now. I'm knackered and have to get up at 6.30. I just had to upload it before I go off on my hols. So I hope it lives up to your expectations. I am not specifically proud of this chapter; but it will have to do. I have rewritten and rewritten it and I can't get it any better._**

**_This chapter was set back in time... sort of. Well, it's from Damon's perspective before the phone call. So while Bonnie and Elena were arguing, Damon was, well... being Damon. ;). _**

_**The book Elena was reading last chapter was '1984' by George Orwell. It's an amazing novel. :). **_

_**I still don't have a beta, so I apologise for any spelling or grammatical mistakes. (If anyone wants to volunteer; I will gladly and enthusiastically get back to you! Just PM me.)**_

_**-N x**_


	3. Chapter 3

**The One That Didn't Get Away,** _Chapter Three_

* * *

_____**Disclaimer: I do not own anything you may recognize. Any relation to my version of the characters and real life persons is purely coincidental. There is no copyright infringement intended.**_

* * *

Elena bit her lip and stepped down harder on the gas pedal, the car immediately obeyed her wishes and the engine growled as her car sped up. _She was late_. Elena Gilbert was _late_. Anyone that knew her, knew that being late was something Elena abhorred. Yet, here she was; teeth gritted, head pounding and driving way over the speed limit.

She mentally slapped herself for sleeping through her alarm and the four missed phone calls. She hadn't been able to sleep, tossing and turning for hours she ended up opening her window and throwing her covers off to get air. When that didn't work she gave up and used up the last of her sleeping pills from the crash. Eventually they knocked her out, but the lasting effects meant that she didn't wake up when she was meant to… and now she was late.

She didn't blame herself. It wasn't her fault she couldn't sleep. The whole reason she was late was because yesterday she found out that Ric and Jenna had been keeping a secret from her. _A big one_.

* * *

"_Elena." She looked up from her book, her eyes meeting a worried looking Ric's. "We need to talk." _

_He hovered in front of her with Jenna standing just behind him. She frowned and closed her book, keeping it in her lap, her fingers curling around the top to hold it in place. "Sure Ric. Is everything okay?"_

"_No." Elena jumped and her eyes landed on Jeremy. She didn't know how she had missed her brother leaning against the wall. "Tell her Ric." His features were set into a scowl, his jaw was locked and his posture slightly tensed. His eyes were pinned on Ric, but Elena could clearly see the concern radiating off him._

_Jenna shifted nervously, her eyes on Jeremy. "Give him time Jeremy."_

_Elena frowned in confusion, her eyes landing on Ric and then flickering back to Jeremy, Jenna and then finally resting on Alaric again. "Ric?"_

"_There's something I should probably tell you." Alaric scratched the back of his head and grimaced. "You're not going to like it. But you need to know."_

"_You're right she needs to know. You've been hiding this from us for way to long. How long did you seriously think you keep a secret this big hidden?" Jeremy raised his eyebrows. "Huh, Ric?"_

_Elena blinked at her brother's sharp tone. "What's going on?" _

_Jeremy locked eyes with his sister, upon seeing the confusion and concern in her eyes his anger grew. "He's working for Damon Salvatore." His voice came out harsher than expected and Elena flinched back slightly. _

_Elena's brow furrowed as her brothers words set in. "What?" _

_Alaric's eyes widened a fraction. "No, it's not like that. I'm not working for him Elena."_

"_Yeah? So who was that on the phone then? Care to enlighten us?" _

"_Jeremy, stop it. You're not making this any easier." _

"_Oh? I'm sorry Aunt Jenna. I didn't know I wasn't allowed to be pissed when someone blatantly lies to your face for years." _

"_Stop it!" _

_Jenna and Jeremy immediately stopped bickering at Elena's command. She bit her lip, frowning at her family. "What's going on?" _

_Alaric gulped at her steady gaze pinned on him, knowing whatever he said was going to have hardly any difference. "There's something you should know-" he held his hand up before Jeremy could interrupt "- I know I should have told you ages ago, but we didn't want to cause disruption Elena. I knew how you felt and it didn't seem important to tell you and cause-" he waved his hand in Jeremy's direction "–this."_

_Elena's frowned deepened. "So it's true?" Her stomach dropped, and Alaric could clearly see the betrayal on her face. "You're working for Damon?" She spoke the words slowly as if tasting the absurdity of the words on her tongue. _

_Alaric cringed seeing the anger seeping into her gaze. "Not exactly." He swallowed. "Listen Elena-"_

"_No Ric." Elena stood, her book falling to the floor with a thump. She barely cast it a glance, kicking it away. "You know how I feel about him." Her gaze fell upon Jenna. "And so do you." Her voice broke. "I thought – I thought you understood." _

"_Elena-"_

"_No Jenna." She held her hand up. "No. I knew you were hiding something from us. The past week you've been discreet. Leaving the room at weird times, the phone ringing early hours in the morning. I knew something was up. But this-" she waved her hand in Alaric's direction, her voice losing the pain and building up anger "-__this__ is something I would have never guessed. You're working for __Damon Salvatore__?!" She shook her head looking at the floor, the feeling of betrayal overpowering her anger. "How could you?" She whispered. _

_Alaric gritted his teeth, knowing this hurt her but feeling a strong sense of protection for his friend. He may be famous, and at times a proper dick but he didn't deserve the hatred he got from Elena. "I've known him for years Elena." She looked up shocked, he smiled tightly. "Before you were born, before I knew Jenna." He shook his head. "We went to college together. I knew him when he used to sing, before acting took over and he lost all shred of normality." He smiled wistfully. "I used to be his manager. We worked together Elena. I didn't work for him, we worked __together__. That's what's happening here, we've working together!" _

"_How could you work with him?" Elena implored, her eyes boring into his. "He's so arrogant." _

"_He wasn't always a bad guy." Alaric shook his head, a small smile appearing on his lips. "We used to be really close. He was like my brother." His voice turned spiteful on the last word. _

_Elena frowned. "What?" Her voice was quieter. Jenna and Jeremy had been forgotten, her attention now fully on Ric. She didn't notice as Jenna practically dragged Jeremy from the room leaving the two alone._

"_I don't know how much you know, you don't read the gossip mags." He smiled tightly. "They have much of the information wrong anyway. Damon and Stefan don't have the best brotherly relationship. Damon originally went into singing, and Stefan wanted to go into law but their father didn't like the directions they were taking. He was a producer, and he wanted them both in acting to follow the family line. Stefan went willingly, but Damon-" he shook his head sadly "he wanted to sing. He'd always wanted to sing."_

_Elena cocked her head and Alaric smirked slightly knowing she was interested. He moved so he was sitting down on the couch, she followed his lead, plonking herself down next to him. "Their father was so angry that Damon was refusing to go into acting that he sent Stefan to try and persuade him." He smiled spitefully. "Damon didn't budge, so Stefan – obeying his dads wishes – used his law skills and somehow got Damon kicked out of college. He had nowhere to go and had to turn to his father for money and the only way his father would provide for him was if he went into acting."_

_Elena's eyes had widened the more he spoke. "What?" She whispered, hardly believing her ears. _

_Ric nodded. "So Damon, unable to get back into college, had to succumb to his father wishes and he joined an acting college. He changed, became spiteful towards his family, towards everyone." He sighed. "He did everything to get back at his father, and when Giuseppe died and with his brother acting abroad his anger had nothing to be directed at." He smiled slightly at Elena. "Hence why we are where we are today. Damon turned to pleasure in women to keep him occupied from his thoughts and he gradually changed, becoming less and less of the man I once knew." He paused, grimacing. "I hardly know him anymore." But he still turned to smile at Elena carefully. "But, unlike some, I know there's still a part of him that misses who he used to be." He shook his head. "He's just too stubborn to admit it. But it's the memory of the Damon I used to know that made me agree."_

_Elena frowned, she seemed to be doing a lot of frowning today. "What?" She repeated the only word she seemed to be able to say for the duration of this surreal conversation._

"_He wants to restart singing and he wants me as his manager. So I agreed to let him come stay with us for a while."_

* * *

A loud screech shocked Elena out of her thoughts, jumping in panic she spun around trying to source out the noise. A sleek black motorcycle was sliding towards her; turned sideways the driver was trying to stop before crashing into her. Heart beating wildly she spun the steering wheel away and slammed the breaks. The cars wheels squealed with the sudden friction against the road and she flinched, squeezing her eyes shut and braced herself for impact.

The car skidded sideways out of control, her knuckles turned white from her death grip on the wheel, she squeezed her eyes tighter shut and held her breath as the car eventually came to an abrupt jolting stop. Elena lurched forwards, her seatbelt jamming against her body and flinging her forcefully back into her seat. Her body hit the seat with a thump, knocking the air from her lungs and stealing her breath in a whoosh through her parted lips.

Elena gasped violently, panting for air. Her chest heaved, her fast breathing the only sound she could hear past the ringing in her ears. She curled forwards her seatbelt digging into her stomach. She groaned, searching for the button which would release her. Sighing in relief when her fingers managed to free the belt, she managed to take a deep shaky breath. Relishing the air now in her lungs as her head started to clear. She sat for a minute, listening to her breaths slowly evening out and her heartbeat settling back into its normal rhythm. Carefully she peeled open her eyes, flinching slightly at the bright light that flooded her senses.

Slowly the blurry shadows started to form shapes. Her car was still upright and despite the scary looking black smoke emerging from the bonnet, it seemed okay. She let herself feel some relief in the fact she hadn't completely destroyed her car. She groaned as she lolled her head to the side, her head was throbbing, vibrating in her skull. Shakily raising a hand she gently probed her head. Her hand came away clean. No blood. She let herself sag back into her seat in relief.

The thought of the motorcycle's driver snapped her out of her post-crash daze. Anger washed away any of the shock still in her system. She was already late; she didn't need to be later. Quickly clambering from the car, she slammed the door shut behind her. She wobbled slightly on her unsteady feet, and breathed in through her teeth to steel herself. Standing taller, she turned to glare angrily at the person who had caused her to lose control.

The motorcycle had managed to stop about a yard from where she was standing. The driver, clad in dark clothing, was already climbing off and striding towards her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She growled.

Her frown deepened when the driver replied. "What?"

He took his helmet off and her eyes widened a fraction as she locked eyes with the bluest eyes she had ever seen. He smirked as if he knew what she was thinking. "I said: you could at least give me chance to get my helmet off, sweetheart."

Black hair fell haphazardly over those beautiful blue eyes she was now desperately trying to avoid. Unfortunately her eyes landed on his strong jawline, tracing it with her eyes until she landed on his lips. They were smooth, almost silky. She briefly wondered if they felt as soft as they looked. And they were currently still turned up in a panty-dropping smirk. She knew who this was, and she didn't like it. She ignored the unwanted pool in her stomach and braced herself, looking into his two blue pools. "You nearly caused me to crash!"

He raised one perfectly defined brow. "Think you'll find you pulled out in front of me, sweetcheeks."

"First, stop with the nicknames, you don't know me. Secondly, this isn't funny!"

Almost as if her car was mocking her, there was a loud popping noise and the airbag deployed. "Stupid car." She muttered, not realizing Damon could hear her, he let out a quiet chuckle at her frustration. "_Now _you decide to blow up, fat lot of good you did." Disheartened, she kicked her cars wheel, wincing at the pain that shot through her foot.

"If you're done beating up your car-"

She paused, slowly turning to look at him, finding him staring at her amused. "What if I'm not?" She smiled bitterly.

"- then I would start to feel sorry for your poor car." He chuckled, smiling roguishly.

"Aww, my poor baby." She rolled her eyes. "She would be fine if it wasn't for you."

"She's a she now? A minute ago you were violently beating up your car, and now it's a she?"

"It's none of your business if my car is a 'she' Damon. All you have to worry about is paying for insurance." She grinned, shooting him a smirk of her own.

Damon's features flashed in surprise for a second. "So, you _do_ know who I am? Just when I was starting to think this little backwards town had no idea."

"This little _backwards town_ is my home, and for your information we do know about the outside world." She inwardly smirked, picturing her two best friends. "So Damon, cough up. Insurance please."

He puckered his lips. "And if I refuse?" He stared intently at her.

"Then I'll take you to court."

There was a beat of silence between the pair before Damon let out a loud, short, disbelieving laugh. "What?" _Who was this girl? _

She shrugged; she wouldn't let him get to her. Deep down she knew she would never win, but she refused to come across as just another weak girl.

There was another moment of silence, the atmosphere tensing up as they both regarded each other for weaknesses. A shrill ringing disturbed Elena's thought pattern and she frowned realizing it was her phone. She patted her pockets looking for the gadget, but it wasn't there. She frowned, where was it? She scoped around the ground searching for the noisy device.

"Here."

She looked up as Damon held out her phone. She eyed him carefully before slowly reaching out to grab it. "Take it, I don't bite." She hesitantly took her cell from his hand. "Unless you want me too." He waggled his eyebrows comically.

Elena scowled and peered at the caller ID so she could take her mind off those startling eyes. She sighed seeing the caller and accepted the call. "Ric."

Damon frowned as she answered. Ric? How many Ric's could there be in a town this size? Not many surely. She had turned partly away from him so it gave him time to stare. She had a petite body, with long dark hair that fell like silk over her shoulders and down to the small of her back. Now that she wasn't glaring at him her eyes were the warmest chocolate he had ever seen and her lips were soft and full, partly pouted as she spoke on the phone. Damon knew that he had to have her.

"No, Ric, I'm sorry." He listened as she spoke. Her voice was smooth and soft, soothing and caressing the words that flowed from her mouth. He frowned, what was he doing? He was fawning over a girl. He shook the feelings off, if he was going to win this he had to keep a clear head. "I know he hasn't arrived yet." She paused, listening to Ric's answer. "Why? Because he's here with me. He pulled out in front of me, my cars totalled."

Elena grimaced as she listened to the stunned silence on the other end of the phone. "_Put me on the phone with Damon."_

She frowned. "What?"

"_I want to speak to Damon." _

Elena paused for a second then shrugged, handing the phone out to Damon. He looked down at in confusion and then back up at her. "It's a phone, you talk into it."

Damon raised an eyebrow. "I know that. Why are you giving it to me?"

Shrugging once again, she pushed the phone towards him. "Ric wants to talk to you."

Tilting his head, he took her cell from her hand and Elena felt her hand tingle as his skin lightly brushed hers. She frowned at herself and wrenched her hand back as soon as her cell was out of her hand. Either he didn't notice her reaction, or he pretended not to notice. He held her cell up to his ear. "Hello." He drawled.

Elena watched as Damon smirked to himself, balancing on the balls of her feet wondering if she should ask him to put it on speaker. "Well, hello to you to Ricky Boy."

She hesitantly stepped forwards and his attention immediately turned towards her. He tilted his head and looked at her curiously before smirking to whatever Alaric said on the phone. "_Alaric_."

His blue eyes travelled down her body and back up to her face and she couldn't control the shiver than ran through her. His smile widened and she quickly looked away feeling her face heat up. "Why, I'm standing here, talking on the phone to you." She leant back against her car and sighed, resigning herself to listening to the one sided conversation.

"Why nothing Ric. What do you think I would be doing?" He waggled his eyebrows at her and she glowered back in retaliation. His grin widened. "_Ric_." She frowned at him, what was with the repetition of names?

"Ooh, big word." He chuckled lowly, a deep sound in his throat and Elena couldn't help her body's response to the sound, her stomach clenched and gritted her teeth trying to block out his voice. "Glad to know I still live up to expectations Ric."

"What about the dear Elena?" He turned back to her, raising his eyebrows as he listened to Alaric's answer. He shook his head. "No need Ricky Boy. I can give her a ride." He winked at her and she sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Nice talking to you too Ric. Bye now." He grinned and pressed end call, throwing the phone back at Elena. He turned to stride back to his motorcycle.

She flinched, her hands coming up automatically to catch the device. "What the hell?" She hissed, stuffing the phone in her jeans pocket. "First you kill my car and now you want to break my phone too?"

He paused in his step, turning back to face her. "Did you drop it?"

"No." She frowned.

He smiled brightly. "Then there isn't a problem."

"You- why?" She made a sound of disgust, folding her arms in front of her chest. She quickly removed them when she noticed his eyes had followed her movements.

He rolled his eyes. "C'mon." He waved his hand towards his vehicle.

She shook her head, stepping backwards towards her car. "Look, I appreciate the offer but it really isn't necessary. I can walk." She glanced at the black motorcycle and quickly looked away, biting her lip.

He observed her quietly, a small smile playing on his lips. "Are you scared?" His voice was lightly teasing, and Elena wondered if he was afraid he was going to scare her off. Then she shook the thought away_, why would he think that?_

"What? No!" Her reply was a little quick even to her own ears and she grimaced, pointedly turning her head away from Damon.

He raised one eyebrow and chuckled disbelievingly. "You are."

"It isn't funny." She scowled. "I will not ride on that thing!" Looking down and scuffing her left shoe against the road she muttered under her breath. "Especially not with you."

"You either walk to my bike willingly or I carry you." That got her looking at him, he smirked when she finally locked eyes with him; he liked the fire in them. "Ric's expecting me to deliver you and your cute behind back to him safely." He grinned when she glowered at him, her small hands clenching into fists. _Damn she's feisty._ "And I intend to keep my word."

Elena sucked in a breath at Damon's remark, how did he have the nerve to speak to her like that? She glared at him, trying to shoot daggers with her eyes. He better stop with the crude remarks, she didn't want to lose her cool. _Well, as cool as she could be with him around. _She shook that errant thought from her head as soon as it floated in. "How is riding on that thing safe?" She shot a pointed glance towards the death trap. "It's an accident waiting to happen!"

"It's my bike or me dear. Which would you prefer to ride?" He winked.

She growled under her breath. _Neither!_ She shouted in her mind, but instead she simply shrugged and said; "I'll call a cab."

His eyes widened and he gasped dramatically. "Oops." He smiled innocently at her. "I think I used up all your charge."

No- I-" She scowled at her phones _dead battery _message when she flipped it open. "-Damn" _There goes my way out. _"Stupid phone."

"Stupid phone. Stupid car. Seems things just aren't going your way." Damon laughed and gestured towards his bike. "Fate just wants you on the back of my bike."

Elena stuffed her phone in her pocket and glared at Damon. "I'll just wait here till Ric realises I'm not coming."

Damon couldn't seem to decide whether he was annoyed or amused. "Did you just stomp your foot?" He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Listen _firecracker_. I'm not leaving you in the middle of nowhere. So you either come with me, or we both stay here." He grinned. "Either way you're not getting away from me."

Elena crossed her arms, thankful when Damon's eyes stayed on her face. She made a sound of disgust and dropped her head back to look at the clouds. "_Fine_." She resented and was still looking at the clouds so she didn't see Damon's triumphant smile. "But-" She looked back at Damon, her eyes imploring"-there's conditions."

He raised his eyebrows. "Conditions? You want conditions?"

"You either abide by my conditions or I refuse, and we're both stuck here." She matched his expression, but added a small smile knowing she had won.

He rolled his eyes sighing and pursed his lips. "Shoot." He felt his blood go south when he realised Elena was going to be pressed up behind him on his bike.

Her smile widened. "_One_, you're not allowed to make one more crude remark. And _two_, you behave while I'm your bike."

He pouted, mocking her. "Not one mini little crude remark? Ever?" When she shook her head, he dramatically sighed. "Fine."

"And you behave." She reminded.

He nodded. "I promise I won't do anything even _slightly_ inappropriate while you're on my motorcycle. _Scouts honour_." He saluted.

Despite her hatred for him, she let out a little giggle. He smiled at the sound. "Were you ever even a boy scout?"

"Nope" He popped the P and shot an award winning grin at Elena.

"Didn't think so." She rolled her eyes.

There was a brief moment of silence while the two regarded each other. Elena wondered how much it had to have hurt Damon to be thrown out of college charged with something he didn't do and lose hope in everything.

The silence was broken by Damon, who coughed awkwardly not liking the look in Elena's eyes as she looked at him. Better have her hate him then pity him. "Come on. Time's a wasting."

Sighing vehemently she reluctantly nodded and followed him to his bike. "I still don't like this." She muttered as they reached the sleek black object.

He held his hands up in surrender and in one hand was his helmet. "I promise I won't touch you."

She smiled softly, surprising herself and shook her head. "No, it's just – have you seen that?" She gestured at the offending bike.

He cocked one eyebrow and grinned slightly. "So you _are_ scared."

"No-" She started but at Damon's imploring look she caved. "Yes. But it's only 'cause, _well_, have you _seen_ it?" She repeated, not willing to admit the real reason she was scared of the bike.

"Yes." He grinned teasingly. "I ride it every day." He held out his helmet and she stared at the offered up object nervously.

"You've never crashed?" She bit her lip, glancing between the motorcycle, the helmet and Damon.

He shook his head. "Not so much as a wobble." He moved to put the helmet on her head, and she blinked at his gentle touch as he pushed it over her head. "There." He patted the helmet, grinning. "All set to go."

"What about you?" Elena looked at him through the closed tinted visor. Somehow through the tinted light his eyes seemed even bluer.

"Is the little firecracker worried about my safety?" He teased, pushing her towards his bike.

She shook her head, the lose helmet wobbling on her head. "No." _That wasn't true_. "Just, how much grief am I going to get if you die and I survive? I would be murdered by fan girls."

"Aww, you are so worried about my safety." He laughed at her scowl. "Don't worry. I've never crashed and if I survived and you died, I would be murdered by Ric. Not a good way to go." He swung his leg over his bike. "Much worse than being murdered by fan girls." He patted the seat behind him.

She laughed lightly. "I don't know. It's debateable." She carefully advanced on the bike, and at Damon's nod of encouragement she scrambled on, grasping tightly at the iron bar behind her. Her chest was slightly pressed into his back and for the first time she was slightly grateful for her bodies reaction, it distracted her from the nerves threatening to swallow her whole.

"We shall agree to disagree." He smirked.

"We shall." There was a brief moment where everything was still then Elena whispered. "If I start to fall will you catch me?"

Damon blinked at her sentence, a sense of foreboding creeping across him. "Thought I wasn't allowed to touch you?" He tried to shake the feeling off.

She lightly slapped him. "_Damon."_

"_Elena." _He mocked. And now she understood the repetition of names, she rolled her eyes realizing Damon is probably just an infuriating towards Alaric. He laughed as she slapped him again, his body vibrating under her hand. She immediately took her hand back, not liking the butterflies it sent to her stomach. "Yes Elena. I won't let you fall." He voice turned serious and he turned and met her eyes for a millisecond and she saw the sincerity in them.

She nodded at the reassurance, part of her relaxing at the sincere promise. "Okay." She mumbled.

He smiled, nodded and turned back to the motorcycle, kicking it into gear and starting up the machine. It immediately came to life under her and she jumped at the rumbling sound. It slowly climbed into a growl and Damon, now focused, revved the engine. Panicked Elena shoved herself forwards moving her arms to wrap around Damon's waist for support. Damon felt more secure than the bikes bar and she immediately felt safer. She relaxed slightly, gripping Damon's jacket tighter in her fists.

Damon smiled slightly when Elena wrapped her arms around him. _One way to get a girl who hates you to wrap her arms around you._ His thoughts whispered, and as he pushed off with his foot he promised himself that he would have Elena's arms wrapped around him again, and not because she was riding his motorcycle…

* * *

_**A.N/ Um, hello there? Nice to see you to see you nice? ;D.**_

_**I apologise for the really really late update, so late I just know I've lost many readers and I feel awful. College and family life got in the way, as it does you know... then I kinda lost inspiration for writing for a while and ended up being hooked on Supernatural and Suits. Two completely different programs, but yet both so good. I am now firmly in love with Sam and Dean - my boys. :). And I intend it to stay that way... you never know, I may try my hand at a SPN story one day! So if you like it, keep an eye out! But for now, I am pretty sure I am back for a while! :). **_

_**Hope you are all still reading, and forgive me enough to drop a review. :). Love to hear your thoughts! **_

_**-N.**_

_**P.S/ I did have a beta reader, but 'cause of my shit updating I think I've lost her... so if any of you are willing? Just PM me and I will get back to you. Thank you! **_

* * *

_**Twitter: **AlmostObsession_


	4. Chapter 4

**The One That Didn't Get Away**, _Chapter Four._

* * *

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything you may recognize. Any relation to my version of the characters and real life persons is purely coincidental. There is no copyright infringement intended.**_

* * *

The motorcycle rumbled to a stop in front of the Grill and Damon switched off the engine. There was a brief moment of silence that hung between the two. Elena breathed through her mouth and bit her lip, blinking open her eyes and thanking her lucky stars when the world stayed straight. Slowly moving her head she winced at the crick in her neck, hissing slightly in pain.

"You enjoying yourself back there Firecracker?"

Elena jolted at the low velvet voice, realizing her arms were still wrapped around Damon's waist and her hands were still tightly gripping the material of his leather jacket. "Oh, sorry." She let go quickly.

She could tell he was laughing from the low vibrations in his chest. "No, don't apologize. It's totally fine with me."

The weak peace that they had created was broken by Elena's disgusted scoff. Now feeling dirty and trapped she swung her leg over the bike and quickly stood up. She dusted herself and yanked the helmet off and threw it at an unsuspecting Damon. He reflexively caught it with a sound of protest as it smacked him in the chest.

Elena turned on her heel and without another glance at the arrogant ass who was still on the motorcycle she stomped towards the Grill. She could hear Damon's deep chuckling behind her as he stood up to follow her. "Aww, come on. Don't be like that."

She ignored him as he jogged to catch up with her. "Elenaaa." He drawled. "I'm sorry." He smirked to himself as she stepped up her pace, he simply adjusted his stride so he stayed along side her.

Elena huffed to herself as he easily kept pace with her, his legs being longer meant he had no struggle keeping up. She scowled. "No, you're not."

She heard Damon sigh beside her and mutter something inaudible to himself. Just as she was going to demand that he repeat what he said, he slid in front of her and blocked her route to the Grill. The sudden moment hadn't left enough time for her to react and she bumped into him with an audible gasp.

His hands automatically moved to grip her upper arms to stop her from tumbling backwards. Not letting herself react to the warm touch she quickly jumped backwards as if he had electrocuted her and narrowed her eyes at the smirking man in front of her. "What the Hell?"

He shrugged. "You're right, I'm not sorry."

Elena frowned, folding her arms and fixing him with a hard glare. "And your blocking my way because?"

He rolled his eyes. "Before you go marching in there and complaining about how much you hate me can we at least form a truce?"

Elena tilted her head and regarded him carefully. Was he serious? He was the one taunting her, he was the one who was standing in front of her and he was the one with the smartass comments. "What?"

Damon shot a pointed glance towards the door of the Grill. "Do you really think I want to be stuck in some small nowhere town? No. I would rather had Ric come meet me in LA but he refused to leave you all." His blue eyes were intimidating and Elena felt herself pinned to the spot. "So I'm here for the summer and that means we're probably going to be around each other a lot. So don't you think it would be nice if we didn't kill each other?"

He was right and Elena knew it. He was here for his music career and he needed Ric to help him... she didn't really understand and she wasn't going to ask but it was clear he was going to be around Ric a lot, and wherever Ric was, they usually were.

She sighed dejectedly and moved her eyes from her feet and traced them up – obviously ignoring Damon's body (lie) and relocked her eyes with him. "Fine." She nodded. "Truce?" She bit back a grimace and held out her hand for him to shake.

He smiled triumphantly and encircled her hand with his larger one. Elena ignored the tingle the simple contact created and bit her lip as his eyes pierced her own and he shook her hand firmly. She nodded and pulled her hand back when it became clear he wasn't going to let go.

"Shall we?" His famous smirk was back and he waved an arm towards the entrance of the Grill.

Elena rolled her eyes and without casting him another glance she marched forwards, however she only managed a few steps before a hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her back around. She gasped and her hand came up automatically to grasp hold of Damon's jacket so she didn't fall backwards. "What the-?"

Damon kept a hold of her wrist. "Civil. Remember?" He raised an eyebrow.

She scoffed and quickly removed her hand from his jacket. "Don't push it." She yanked her hand out of his hold and quickly spun on her heel, briskly walking the last few steps to the Grill and ignoring Damon's impatient sigh behind her. She pushed open the door. The room was dimly lit and Elena blinked until her eyes adjusted to the new lighting. Rubbing her eyes, she searched for her family and found Ric at the bar and Jeremy and Jenna sitting in a corner booth. There weren't many people in the Grill, it was too hot, the few regulars were milling around the bar, the teenagers that usually occupied the pool tables were missing. It was strangely quiet.

"Bright outside." Damon stepped next to her, his eyes squinted as he scanned the bar. "It's hotter here than LA." If Elena was listening (which she wasn't) she would say that Damon sounded surprised. If Elena was watching (which she definitely wasn't from the corner of her eye) she would have seen Damon undo another two buttons on his shirt and tug his collar away from his neck.

"We're stuck in a heatwave." She dismissed and resisted the strong urge to pull her top off. "Air-con must be broken." Her tank top was already starting to stick to her skin. She yanked her hair up into a messy ponytail as she walked to their table.

Damon watched her as she walked off. His eyes pinned to her long olive legs. He grinned to himself, she was feisty and it turned him on. He spotted Ric at the bar and wondered over, tapping his friend on the shoulder. "Alcohol at this time of day? Shame on you."

Ric jumped. "Whoa." He managed to put the drinks on the bar before turning to face the celebrity. "Damon." He nodded.

"Ric." Damon replied seriously, mimicking his nod. He raised an eyebrow and eyed the two beers his friend had ordered. "That for me?"

"Well I'm not buying you whiskey. I'm supposed to be a role model now." He passed Damon a beer and cracked a smile. "It's good to see you man." He grabbed him on the shoulder in a move of affection. Although he would be lying if he said Damon didn't intimidate him or annoy the Hell out of him, he was still a old friend and despite his celebrity status he knew deep inside he was a good man.

Damon grinned in return. "Wondered when you'd crack." He returned the pat and chuckled. "It's good to see you too."

Elena greeted her brother and aunt before slipping into the seat next to Jeremy and glancing over at the bar. She was surprised to see Damon and Ric greet each other as if they were old friends. She knew they knew each other and used to get along but she didn't know they were close; she had thought Damon was to arrogant for Ric. "What are they doing?"

Jeremy shrugged. "Saying hello?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "I know that! Just, didn't know they were that close."

Her brother nudged her shoulder. "Jealous?" He teased.

She quickly ripped her eyes from the bar before they spotted her looking and turned to glare at her brother. "Hell no!"

Jeremy held in a laugh. "Just sayin'" He held up his hands. At his sisters glare he rolled his eyes. "Relax 'Lena. Joke."

She sighed, forcing herself to take a breath. "I know. I'm just on edge." She shook her head. "He's so-" she searched for the word "-intrepid."

Jeremy pulled a face opened his mouth to reply but Elena put her hand over his mouth as she spotted Damon and Ric walking over to the table. His eyes widened and Elena dropped her hand, sending him a stern look. "We made a truce." She whispered.

"You what?!" He exclaimed, forgetting to keep quiet.

Elena grimaced. "He was so persistent." Shrugging and smiling guiltily she picked up her brothers coke. "He had a good argument." Jeremy raised an eyebrow, she wasn't sure if it was because she stole his coke or if he wanted an explanation. She explained anyway. "He's going to be around Ric a lot. So he's going to be with us." She watched as Damon was stopped by a woman. "What would life be like for everyone else if were biting each others heads off all hours of the day?"

Jeremy regarded his sister carefully but nodded anyway. "See how long it lasts." He smirked. Elena shook her head and rolled her eyes. He was right, she didn't know how long she would last, her temper wasn't her best trait.

"Looks like Damon found a fan." Jenna had been listening to the siblings conversation before being distracted by the slightly louder female voice a few feet away.

Jeremy and Elena glanced at Damon as he tried to get past the woman. He signed a slip of paper for her and smiled, politely excusing himself from her presence. But she stepped with him, refusing to let him pass. They were both close enough to be heard. "Please come and talk to my friends! They love you!" The woman tried to grasp Damon's arm but he stepped back.

"I would love too. But I have previous arrangements." He smiled again, his previous smirk gone and his eyes sincere. Elena was momentarily surprised by Damon's politeness before she remembered he was an actor. A pretty good one too she judged by watching him try to excuse himself from the woman again. "I'm sorry."

The woman's face fell. "Please? Please? Damon, it would mean the world to me!"

Damon grimaced as she used his name, it usually attracted more attention than there already was but thankfully due to the mostly empty bar and not many within hearing distance it didn't have a reaction. He tried to step past her again but she mirrored him. He glanced at Ric who had left him and rejoined his family, Ric grinned and shrugged. Damon glared. He moved his glance to Elena who was watching him and smirked as an idea sparked. "Look I'm going to have to go. My girlfriend is getting annoyed." He knew he never had girlfriends but she seemed like a small town woman and hopefully wouldn't know that.

Her smile fell and she blinked. "You have a girlfriend?" She glanced at her friends. "I've never heard of any girlfriend!"

He inwardly smirked to himself but outwardly he smiled and nodded. "She doesn't like the media." He looked at Elena from the corner of his eyes. She was sending him a glare hard enough to kill and his inner smirk widened. He knew Elena wouldn't say anything because it would cause a bigger situation than the one they were already in, she was trapped and they both knew it. "She's sitting over there." He gestured in her direction.

The woman turned, and followed his gesture. Her eyes landing on Elena. He knew she would believe it because Elena was stunning, the kind of person a rock star would be dating (if he did date). Long silky dark hair, chocolate eyes and tanned olive skin; she was celebrity girlfriend material. "Her?" Damon nodded and smiled at Elena, waving. Elena raised her eyebrows, jumped, and slowly raised a hand and waved back. He was surprised but then he spotted Jeremy smirking and guessed he had nudged her. Still, she was helping. He grinned, blowing her a kiss. She rolled eyes and turned away, probably to kill her brother. "That's your girlfriend?"

He nodded. "I need to go. She's going to kill me if I'm any longer." He forced a smile and this time she let him pass. He figured she was still in shock to be able to block him. He quickly made his way to the table and slipped in opposite Elena. "Hi." He smirked.

Elena pinned him with her hardest glare when he sat down. "What the Hell was that?" She growled.

"You, helping me escape a fan." He smiled innocently and shrugged.

She smiled sarcastically. "Funny way of escaping."

He pulled a _what can you do?_ face. "Ric's fault for ditching me." He smirked at his friend and Alaric retaliated by raising his eyebrows but didn't bother answering. He knew in some way that he was to blame, but it was to fun to watch Damon flounder for a minute. Even if it was only for a minute it was worth it.

"You so owe me for not outing you." She glared. Elena knew she wouldn't have anyway, but she was angry at him. How dare he? She would have just ignored the whole thing but Jeremy had elbowed her, a silent command to go along with it and she had reacted without thinking. Stupid little brothers.

His eyes lit up and his lips curled up into a tiny sexy smirk. Elena refrained from swallowing as his eyes took on a predatory haze. "Anything." He purred.

His voice was smoother, deeper and her stomach contracted but she forced herself to ignore the pleasurable feeling before it moved anywhere else. Other girls may have given in to that voice, but she wasn't any girl. She was Elena Gilbert. She crossed her arms, thankful the table was acting as a barrier between them and stared at him. "You wish."

She expected him to smirk, turn it into a joke, but instead his lips were curved up in a small seductive smirk instead of his usual boastful one. His ice blue eyes had darkened and his gaze was piercing. He hummed in agreement. Low and warm, it seemed to vibrate out of him. Elena couldn't look away, the cramping in her stomach was sending small bouts of pleasure through her body and she couldn't refrain herself from swallowing, her eyes locked onto his darker ones. He had her trapped. But instead of breaking away and grinning, he was watching her, his gaze still and penetrating, he wasn't letting her go.

Someone cleared their throat and Elena jumped, snapping out of his hold and looking at Ric, finding him staring at Damon. "We need arrangements." He muttered. Elena knew he was talking about summer, but it seemed as though he was talking about something else.

Damon obviously got the hidden meaning and his arrogant smile appeared once more. "Anything you say Ricky Boy."

"Right." Alaric answered, glancing at Elena quickly before voicing to the table. "I know we usually go camping every summer but this year I don't think-"

Horror washed out any other emotions still lingering in Elena and she interrupted Alaric, her voice hard. "No. We can't cancel. We've never canceled."

He looked at her, his eyes sympathetic. "I know 'Lena. But this year there are other things-"

"So you're saying _Damon _is more important than the summer trip we take every year to honor our _mother_?" When their mother was still alive she used to take Elena and Jeremy camping up at a hidden lake. And every year since she died they spent three weeks there to remember her.

"We always go Ric." Jeremy stood with his sister, although it meant a lot to him too, he knew how much it meant to her. "Plus this year I promised to show Anna the lake."

"Jeremy, Elena, I know the trip means a lot more to you than your Aunt or I understand but-"

"What he's trying to say is that we have other duties this year." Jenna smiled apologetically. "But you two can still go. Just without us."

"No." Elena protested, already shaking her head. "It's a family holiday."

Ric frowned. "Elena-"

"I don't mind." All eyes turned to the speaker. "Ric briefly mentioned it on the phone. I googled, there's a local camping shop nearby." He waved his phone slightly and smirked. "Beauty of technology."

Elena pointed at Damon. "He's not coming."

Alaric glanced at Damon and back at Elena. He knew what Damon was like, and he didn't know if it was responsible to bring him along, but Elena was a sensible girl and Caroline was going to come this year. She would probably keep Damon distracted. "It's an option Elena." But she was shaking her head. He sighed. "We either go and he comes with us or we don't go at all." He sounded like a stern parent but in some ways Elena was acting like a little girl. _Stop your fighting or I swear I will turn this car around! _He grimaced.

Jeremy glanced at his sister and placed a hand on her arm. Her eyes flickered towards him before pinning back on Alaric. He knew how she was feeling and he couldn't imagine being in her situation. "I say we go." He smiled.

Elena didn't want Damon to know about her secret lake. It was theirs. Not something to be revealed to an arrogant jackass. But if she didn't agree then she wouldn't go, and she couldn't not go, she wasn't ready to give up her last connection to her Mom. She gritted her teeth. "Fine."

"Then I'll buy a tent later." Damon announced. It was only late morning.

Alaric nodded, smiling softly at Elena, he did know what this meant to her. Sharing a special place with someone she didn't trust wouldn't be easy. Heck, he would have refused. But he knew how much the holiday meant to her. "We leave tomorrow evening."

Elena nodded, standing up. "I'll go pack." She couldn't think of a better way to get out of here. She felt overly emotional and exhausted, the day had already taken it out of her and it was only morning. She felt stupid for putting on jeans this morning, because they were just adding to her discomfort. She needed to get out of them and to be somewhere calmer, quieter... somewhere she could think. "I'm sorry." Before anyone could say anything she high-tailed it out of the Grill and into the daylight.

Damon watched Elena abruptly stand up and leave the Grill. He frowned and turned to Ric who shook his head and shrugged. He briefly thought about following her. "Well-" he pocketed his phone which he had left on the table. "I have a tent to buy." He wiggled his fingers in a mockery of a wave and left, following Elena's footsteps out of the Grill.

Elena knew it was a long walk home, but it was a good time to think for herself without others interrupting and she appreciated the alone time. She walked quickly, wrapping her arms around her middle and tucking a bit of hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear. The heat would only pick up as it hit afternoon and she wanted to be home before then. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she rolled her eyes, even alone she didn't have any peace, it was if her friends were sidekick. She pulled her phone from her pocket _one new message: Bonnie. _She clicked it open: _Elena! Help! I'm at Caroline's and she's killing me with her indecisive packing! _Elena smiled to herself, she missed the carefree attitudes of her best friends, even if they did worship Damon. She clicked reply and quickly typed out a message, thankful that Caroline's house was on her way home: _Walking back from Grill. I'll be your savior in about 10 minutes. ;). _Maybe seeing her friends was just what she needed to relieve the tension she could feel in her shoulders. It wasn't everyday you met one of America's biggest celebrity heartthrobs, and especially not everyday you met one you hated. Picking up her pace, she pictured Caroline's squeal and Bonnie's childish glee when they found out about Damon and quickly diminished the idea of telling them now. She wouldn't be able to deal with it.

She arrived at Caroline's in record time, not bothering to knock as she knew her mother would be at work. She glanced at the pictures on the wall and smiled at a picture of the three of them grinning into the camera. She wasn't sober when it was taken, in fact she only had a fuzzy memory of a camera being flashed. It was probably taken at Caroline's cousins party when she had rolled into town for a vacation last year. "Anyone in?" She called.

"Upstairs!" Caroline called back, appearing at the top of the stairs. "Elena!" She bounded down the stairs and launched herself at Elena.

Elena wrapped her arms around the blond and squeezed back. "Have you murdered Bonnie?" She laughed.

"I'm here!" Bonnie grinned, appearing behind Caroline. Elena let go of Caroline and quickly hugged her brunette friend. "You were at the Grill?"

Elena nodded. "With Ric, Aunt Jenna and Jer." She left out the part about Damon, obviously.

"Come help me pack!" Caroline grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the stairs. "Bonnie says she's already finished and refuses to help me!" She pouted.

Bonnie shook her head. "You just refuse everything I suggest."

"See?" Caroline pointed at Bonnie. "Help me!" She threw towards Elena before resuming to pull her towards the stairs.

"I haven't even started packing myself." Elena laughed, and pulled back from her friend. "I'm not here for long." She pointed at her jeans. "I'm boiling."

"Why are you wearing Jeans?!" Caroline exclaimed, looking horrified.

Elena shrugged. "I know-" she mocked, "fashion disaster."

"In this weather? It is!" Caroline shook her head. "Go change now! I can barely look at you." She placed a hand over her eyes and peaked through her fingers. "Go!"

Bonnie laughed. "You better go change 'Lena. Before Care has a heart attack."

"You'll survive without me?" Elena smirked.

"It's fine." Bonnie winked. "I'll just put the _Damon Salvatore My Life _on TV. She'll be alright."

Elena grimaced, the documentary Bonnie was talking about was filmed last year and was supposed to portray Damon's home life. She didn't know how much was true, not much she guessed, it was probably just really good acting. Anyway, she knew from Caroline that he had refused to do another series. "You two seriously need to find someone else to idol."

"_ELENA!_ Stop hating on Damon!" Caroline whined.

Elena held her hands up. "I'm not saying anything. Just what if he isn't all he cracks up to be?"

"The media portrays his good and bad parts. We know all about him." Bonnie repeated herself so many times Elena wondered if she had managed to convince herself yet. Bonnie's frown deepened. "All he cracks up to be?" She narrowed suspicious eyes at her friend.

_Crap._ Elena's heart rate picked up and she blinked, forcing a smile onto her face. "Innocent statement."

Caroline had her hands off her face now and was fixing Elena with the same look Bonnie was. "What are you not telling us?" Her eyes widened. "Oh my God! You're going to LA aren't you?!"

Bonnie snapped her head back from Caroline to look at her. "Elena?"

She laughed, she couldn't help it, they were so close but yet so far away. "No. No no. Why would I go to LA?"

"Because you have a secret crush on him." Bonnie muttered to herself and shook her head. "We knew it!"

Elena thought back to earlier that afternoon, but that was all Damon, it had nothing to do with her, right? She shook her head adamantly anyway. "No. I do not." She held her hands up, she thought seeing her friends would lessen her stress levels but it just seemed to have caused her more.

"So what are you keeping from us?" Caroline advanced on her.

Shaking her head and back-trekking out the front door she fixed her friend with a forced smile. "Nothing. Honestly." She quickly ran out of the front door.

"Elena! Get back here!" Bonnie and Caroline followed her out the door. "We won't judge you. Tell us." Caroline reached for her arm.

"Promise." Bonnie smiled.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Guys. There's nothing to tell! I'm not hiding anything. Especially nothing to be ashamed of." She inwardly bit her lip, her friends her going to find out about Damon soon enough, why didn't she just tell them? "Honestly, I haven't done anything." She couldn't seem to get the words out.

"We've known you for years, you are definitely hiding something."

"Elena-"

"ELENA!" Elena froze as a new voice interrupted her friends. _Shit._ She recognized that voice. _Not now. "ELENA!" _The voice called again and she slowly turned to face the direction the shouting was coming from. An all to recognizable figure was jogging towards them. She mentally panicked, to scared to look at her friends. He slowed down once he reached them, panting, his raven hair ruffled with the wind and his features still set in that permanent smirk. "There you are." He grinned. "I need your help."

"Damon?" A voice squeaked from behind Elena. "Damon Salvatore?"

Elena cringed as Damon turned to look at the blond, his eyebrows raised. "And you are?"

Caroline opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out, Elena thought she looked like a fish. Bonnie was just staring, her eyes wide and her jaw slack.

"_Damon." _Elena confirmed it for her two friends as she drew his attention. "Meet your two _biggest_ fans."

* * *

_**A.N/ I KNOW! It's so so so late. I'm sorry, but exams and family problems got in the way! :(. If you live in the UK (as I do... woo) did you get the reference to the popular TV show on ITV2? ;D.**_

_**I hope you enjoyed it and I know it's not my best writing, I just wanted to get a chapter up for ya'lls so you know I haven't abandoned you all. Hope my readers are still here. I love you if you are for sticking with my crappy updating this long! **_

_**I'm working on the next chapter NOW! And it's the weekend! So if you all pray maybe I will get it up by Sunday! :D. Two chapters in a week? Wouldn't THAT be cool? ;).**_

_**Anyway, drop a line, love to hear your thoughts! Thank you for being loyal. This is not beta'd so any grammar or spelling mistakes are all mine... you see any major ones tell me and I will correct it! **_

_**- N x**_

_**P.S/ Over the past year I've been watching my friends and other brilliant writers on fanfic close their accounts or stop writing due to hurtful reviews. I hate watching it happen and it disappoints me that people feel they have to insult someone who has put their effort into writing something only to be ridiculed. If anyone has anything nasty and unreasonable to say about my writing then please keep it to yourself. Writing for you means a lot to me but if I'm targeted I won't be hanging around in this fandom because I can't tolerate haters. Thank you.**_

_**To all the loyal readers: You are the people who keep us writers going. Keep it going, it may persuade other writers to stay in this fandom before they quit too. You are amazing.**_

* * *

_**Twitter: **_AlmostObsession


	5. Chapter 5

**The One That Didn't Get Away**, _Chapter Five_

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_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything you may recognize. Any relation to my version of the characters and real life persons is purely coincidental. There is no copyright infringement intended.**_

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The four of them had been standing in a kind of awkward silence for the past few minutes. Only Damon seemed perfectly comfortable, his arms folded over his chest and his half smirk aimed at no one in particular. Elena swallowed not knowing how to diffuse the tension between her two friends.

"Elena?" Elena slowly turned on her heel to face her two closest friends. Bonnie had managed to snap her mouth shut and was looking between Damon and Elena, a confused frown on her features. "_Damon_. Is in Mystic Falls?"

Elena nodded, trying to block their view of Damon by standing in front of him but he simply smirked and moved her to the side so he was standing beside her. "Apparently there's a lot more to Ric than we thought." She smiled guiltily at her two friends, pointedly ignoring the arrogant man who was currently eyeing both her friends at chest level. "He used to be a manager and he knows Damon from college."

"Alaric knows Damon? And he never told you?"

Nodding at Bonnie she nudged Damon with her elbow. He grinned at her and extended a hand towards her friend. "Damon Salvatore" He raised her hand to his mouth and in true gentleman fashion placed a light kiss. "Then again, you already know that."

She blushed in a unlike Bonnie fashion and slowly withdrew her hand, holding it to her chest. "Hi." Her smile was coy. Elena should have expected the shyness of her friend but it still amazed her how a celebrity – a pigheaded one at that – could practically silence her friend. "It's nice to meet you."

Damon winked. "I'm sure." His eyes traveled to Caroline, who was still standing staring at him. Her hands were now covering her mouth and her eyes were wide. "Hello." His voice was low and purposely seductive.

Caroline blinked, her eyes cloudy and swayed. Bonnie and Elena immediately moved to help their friend, Bonnie gripping one arm and Elena moving for the other. _Please don't faint._ She inwardly grimaced. However to her shock Caroline flinched away from her, cowering into Bonnie. "You didn't tell me?"

He voice was quiet, barely a whisper. She doubted if Damon heard it, but it still sent a wave of guilt through her. She moved to help her friend again, but when Caroline moved away from her again she gave up, her stomach sinking. Holding her hands up and forcing a smile onto her face she knew she should had told them earlier. "I'm sorry."

"You know." Caroline shook her head. Elena heard all the unspoken words: _You know how much he means to me. You know how much you have betrayed me. _"How?" _How could you? _

"I didn't-" Elena hesitated, cutting herself off and swallowing hard. "I'm sorry." She repeated, guilt eating her up inside.

Caroline seemed to have gained some of her strength back and she pulled herself from Bonnie's arms. "It's too hot. I can't be dealing with this." Elena wasn't sure if she meant the weather or if she just couldn't deal with her.

Damon had wisely kept quiet through the interaction but now stepped up and placed a hand on Caroline's elbow. "Are you okay?" Elena didn't know if he was sincere (as his eyes suggested) or if he was simply acting to get on Caroline's good side (for which he didn't even have to try) or trying to create a rise in her. She decided it was definitely one of the last two, why would he be sincere towards someone he didn't even know?

Caroline looked at his hand and smiled shakily. "Yeah Damon. I'm fine." Her smile seemed to grow the more she looked at him, her eyes lost in his. Elena couldn't see from this angle but she wondered if it was the same look he was giving her earlier. For some reason she hoped it wasn't. "Maybe I'll see you later?" Elena watched as her friend regained her courage and smiled flirtatiously, resting her hand over his which was still on her elbow.

He nodded, taking back his hand and his famous smirk lighting up his features. "I'm sure you will."

"Care-" Elena appealed to her friend as Damon stepped away from her.

But Caroline held up a hand and didn't even look at her. "Save it. I don't want to hear it." With that, and one more flirtatious glance at Damon she swayed herself back to her house, closing the door behind her.

Elena looked at her door, guilt crashing in waves through her and her features fallen. She wanted to march into her friends house and beg for forgiveness, but she wouldn't stoop that low, in some respects she had been right not to tell her friends. She had to have been, or she would have just told them, right? Nothing to do with the fact she simply didn't want to see her two closest friends crawl all over Damon. A hand rested on her shoulder and she turned her head to lock eyes with Bonnie. "You know how she is." She smiled sadly.

Elena could see the hurt, the disappointment in her eyes too but she knew Bonnie was refraining from over-reacting like Caroline had. Sometimes it was almost as though Caroline had dedicated her whole life to the Salvatore's. "I know, but if she would have just listened-"

"Talk to her tomorrow." Bonnie suggested, interrupting her. "She should have calmed down by then."

The hurt Elena felt from being cut off died down and she tried to smile at her friend, but she knew it looked fake. "Yeah. Hopefully." She said softly.

"She will." Bonnie nodded, her smile a little more genuine than Elena's. "You'll see. I gotta-" She looked guilty but yet desperate at the same time and Elena sighed.

"Go find Caroline." Elena gave her friend permission to leave and Bonnie nodded, waving at Damon sending a sad smile Elena's way in silent apology before scurrying towards the front door of Caroline's house. Elena knew Bonnie needed space away from her, but at the same didn't want to leave Elena alone with Damon, and somehow that realization made her feel even guiltier. She sighed and ran her hand through her hair, turning to glare at Damon, not finding anything else to direct her sarcasm and anger at she lashed out. "_Thanks for that._" She turned on her heel and marched away.

"What did I do?" Damon feigned innocence as he caught up with her.

"I was going to tell them about you, just later, and now Caroline hates me and Bonnie doesn't even want to be around me." That had to have been the longest sentence she'd said to Damon the whole time since she'd met him. Damon didn't answer and she tilted her head to study him, he seemed deep in thought. "Did you run?"

He frowned, turning to look at her. "What?"

She smirked, she had the upper hand here and she wasn't going to waste it. "To catch up with me. Did you run?"

He blinked before regaining his thoughts and twisting his face into shocked amusement. "No. Why would you think that?"

"Really? The unhealthy panting stated otherwise." She realized she had begun walking back to her house and slowed down her pace, she didn't want him to know where she lived.

"_Unhealthy?_ I doubt I looked unhealthy" He was smirking again.

Elena thought about his wind ruffled hair, wild eyes and slightly flushed cheeks. _No he didn't._ But she wasn't going to tell him that. "So you were running!"

He shrugged. "I got lost." Elena noticed he didn't even look slightly embarrassed for getting caught out._ Damn him. _

"Got lost?" She frowned. "Going where?"

He rolled his eyes. "I was _trying_ to find the camping store." He looked amused, as if it should have been obvious. Then again it probably should have been, Elena mentally slapped herself. "It_ is_ in this general direction right?"

She stopped walking, and Damon having some freak of nature built in speedometer stopped as soon as she did. He looked at her curiously and Elena refrained herself from telling him he looked kind of adorable. Like a confused little kid. She shook the thought away, he was as ass not an adorable child. "You've passed it." Her voice was purposely hard. _Wait_, he was on foot when he caught up with them. "Why didn't you just take your bike? Doesn't it have built in GPS or something?"

He raised his eyebrows. "No Elena. My bike does not have built in GPS." He deadpanned before he grinned crookedly. "And I happen to like walking from time to time." He shrugged as if he had nothing to hide.

_Yeah right_ Elena thought. "Well that will come in handy when we trek through the forest tomorrow." She smirked when a brief flash of distaste showed in his eyes. _Got you. _She was looking forward to watching him struggle tomorrow, it was quite a hike to their camping spot, sometimes if they delayed they had to stop for the night on their way there. It was Anna's and Tyler's first time tomorrow too, they were in their first year of their relationships with Jeremy and Bonnie, it was time to put them to the test. Caroline and Bonnie first came two years ago, she found it hilarious to watch them stumble through the forest and over rocks, they had got the hang of it since then and she was looking forward to some new entertainment.

"Looking forward to it." Damon muttered to himself, watching Elena and wondering what she seemed to happy about. He doubted it was anything good, but the devious look in her eyes and the devilish smile on her lips caused his groin to tighten just a little. He held back a groan.

"Camping store is back there." Elena pointed back the way they had come. "See you." She turned on her heel and started walking again, the heat was already starting to pick up and sweat was starting to make her skin sticky.

"You're not going to show me?" Damon didn't follow her, just watched her perky ass as he sashayed away from him. _Perfect. _She turned back to him, eyebrows raised and a bemused expression flashed on her features. Damon wondered if she knew just how hard it was for him, rejection was not something he was used too.

"It's on the Main Street." She mimed a big rectangle. "Big bold sign. Not hard to miss." She was smirking, and he knew he was busted, he had seen the sign but ignored it because she wasn't far away and it was too hard to resist annoying her.

He pulled a face. "Must of missed it."

Elena eyed him carefully, but he seemed genuine enough. God, she hated actors. "Right." She spoke slowly, lengthening the word. "Well, good luck." She smirked and walked away.

"See you Firecracker."

Elena hesitated at the nickname but shook her head and carried on. The nicknames was something she couldn't stop him from doing, maybe she would have to accept it as part of their truce. _Hah, no_. She was going to fight him at every corner. She quickly headed home to change, her clothes sticking to her was becoming to much for her to bare.

She turned onto her street in no time and sighed in relief, nearly running back to her house, opening the door and slamming it behind her. Out of the presence of Damon and out of the sultry weather she could feel herself relaxing. She ran up the stairs, not wasting any time with taking her top off and sighing in relief when the cooler air hit her skin. She threw her top on the bed and rummaged through her draws finding a thin white vest top. Not wanting to cover up her sticky skin yet she yanked off her jeans and found a some loose shorts to put on and chucked them both on the bed. Now clad in only underwear she couldn't bare to put on clothes. The last time there had been a heatwave she had practically lived in the shower, heat was something Elena wasn't good at coping with. She quickly walked to the bathroom and turned on the shower, stripping down and stepping under the luke warm spray.

The cooler water immediately cooled her down and she closed her eyes in bliss, arching her neck back under the water she let the water run over her body loosening tightened muscles and massaging the aches away. She reached for her shower gel and breathed in the heavenly scent of honey and almonds as she smoothed her hands over her skin. Her mind traveled to earlier and Damon's image appeared behind her closed lids, she inadvertently smiled and bit back a breathy sigh as the water flowed over her body.

A door slammed from downstairs and she jolted, her eyes flying open. She quickly removed her hands from where they had lowered on her body. _What was she doing? _She growled to herself and cursed the stupid perfect looking celebrity. She reached for the temperature dial and turned it down, shivering as the water immediately cooled and flowed like ice over her skin. Goosebumps rose on her skin and she wrapped her arms around herself, refusing to step out of the shower until she was satisfied Damon was far _far_ away from her mind.

* * *

Downstairs Alaric was standing in the kitchen, watching his wife fuss around cooker. He laughed lightly as she once again mumbled something unintelligible to herself. "Jen-" He wrapped his hands over hers and moved them away from the stove. "Let me do it." Pulling the oven gloves off her hands and placing them on the table he met her eyes. "Stop worrying."

Her face was flustered, her cheeks pink and hair messed up from running her hands through it. She looked adorable. "It's got to be perfect Ric." She growled to herself. "And I can't even cook!" She tried reaching for the oven gloves.

Alaric chuckled and waved a finger in her face. "Nope." He shook his head and moved the gloves further from her reach. "I'm not letting you cook anymore."

She pouted, finally meeting his eyes. "But-"

"No buts." He interrupted. "I'm officially banning you from the kitchen this evening." He smirked to himself. "Get a glass of red wine and go relax on the couch."

"You can't cook any better than I can!" She exclaimed, pushing his hands off her shoulders.

He grimaced, knowing that was true. "Elena can." He attempted a smile.

"She won't cook for Damon!" Jenna threw her hands up in the air, her voice raising to nearly a shout.

Alaric quickly placed his hand over her mouth. "Shh." Her eyes were wide and guilty, she nodded. He shrugged, glancing at the ceiling as if he could see his step-niece above it. "I haven't even invited him yet."

"You haven't? Why not?" She frowned, her brow crinkling. Alaric dropped a kiss to her forehead to smooth it away. "Wait, so I've been worrying about nothing?"

"I'm a coward." He shrugged. "Can't seem to find the courage to invite Damon round for tea due to fear of the wrath from my step-niece." He chuckled, if a little forlornly. "Smooth." He commented.

Jenna wrapped her hands around her husbands and stood on her tiptoes to hug him. "They agreed on a truce remember?" She didn't know if Elena (or Damon for that matter) would upheld their truce, but she was proud Elena was sucking it up all the same.

"We don't know how far that truce extends." Alaric grimaced. "Him in our house? She may view that as over the boundaries."

"If you don't invite him then I will. He needs somewhere to eat Ric, and I don't think he wants to cope with the evening bustle at the Grill or any other restaurant in town. How many fans do you think are hanging around there?" Jenna raised an eyebrow. "Leave Elena to me."

Alaric smiled slightly and kissed her chastely on her lips. "What did I do to deserve you?"

Jenna smiled slyly. "Nothing. I just have low standards." She giggled when he rolled his eyes. "Now ring him."

"Yes Ma'am." Alaric nodded and fished his phone from his pocket, disappearing out the back door. Jenna leaned against the counter, she wondered if she could persuade Elena to cook the dinner. Or if they should simply order take out. She decided she would decide on how Elena reacted to Damon eating dinner with them.

Elena appeared at the stop of the stairs as Jenna stepped out of the kitchen. She had changed into shorts and a loose vest top and she was currently towel drying her hair as she walked down the stairs. Jenna swallowed. "Elena. Can I talk to you?"

Elena looked at her, her eyes focusing, she had obviously just noticed her. She nodded and smiled carefully; Jenna hated the wary look in her nieces eyes. "Sure Aunt Jenna." She reached the bottom of the stairs and threw the towel over the back of the couch. "Is everything okay?"

Jenna regarded Elena carefully, knowing it was probably better not to delay and stumble around the topic. Elena was going to hate it, she just hoped she could persuade her. "Damon's coming for dinner tonight."

Elena blinked, and Jenna didn't know if she imagined it but she thought she saw a brief flash of panic pass through her nieces eyes. "What?" Elena fixed Jenna with a hard stare.

"I know what you're going to say: _He can't _or_ What the Hell?_ But Elena hear me out." At Elena's silence Jenna faked a smile and took the hesitation as a sign to continue. "He has nowhere else to go if he wants to avoid his fans. And Ric and I thought that we could save him some of the pressure-"

"_Save him some of the pressure?_" Elena scoffed, and Jenna grimaced at the interruption. "He loves the attention! Trust me, we would be doing him a favor by sending him to the Grill."

"You're angry. I know. But-"

"No buts Jenna." Elena turned her head away from her Aunt. "I just-" Jenna watched in confusion as Elena swallowed. "I can't-" Elena shook her head. "No." She walked away from Jenna, who watched with bewilderment as her niece stumbled over her words and practically ran from her. "Fine!" She threw over her shoulder.

"Takeout it is." Jenna mumbled to herself, watching Elena disappear into the kitchen.

* * *

Elena knew it wasn't fair of her to snap at Jenna and she immediately felt guilty afterwards but she couldn't find the courage to go find her and apologize. That was why she was sitting on the coach moping to herself. But she wasn't going to tell her brother that, especially not when he had Anna latched to his hip and was staring at her with one eyebrow raised. "No reason." She popped another popcorn in her mouth and strained her head around her brother who was currently blocking the TV. "Move."

"What's up with your sister?" Anna whispered. Jeremy shook his head and shrugged, using his arm to guide himself and Anna away from the TV.

"She can hear you." Elena half-called/half-sung back to them as they left the room. She slumped back into the coach and tried to refocus her attention on the screen. She had no idea what she was watching, some drama about doctors, but it was providing a distraction. _Was._ Past tense. Now she couldn't make herself pay attention to the corny drama and her thoughts were spinning again. It had been two hours since she snapped at Jenna and she hadn't seen her since. She wondered if her Aunt was angry with her, if she wasn't, why was she avoiding her? She heard Ric and Jenna discussing what takeout they were going to order in the kitchen half an hour ago but Jenna had obviously left through the back door because only Ric had left the kitchen, smiled quickly at her and disappeared up the stairs.

The characters on the TV chattered on in the background and Elena found herself annoyed at the noise and jumped forwards to switch the TV off. Silence filled the room and Elena glanced at the clock, they had half an hour until Damon was due to arrive. Again she knew this due to the whispers of Ric and Jeremy this time from the kitchen. Jenna still hadn't gotten back yet. Elena decided she would beg for forgiveness when Jenna arrived home, she hadn't deserved the anger and dismissal Elena had thrown at her. She shouldn't have let her panic and anger at Damon for invading her thoughts and being here in general affect how she was with her family. She had to apologize.

First Caroline and Bonnie and now Jenna and probably Alaric too, they were all angry at her. Elena had to find a way to get rid of her frustration and anger towards Damon before she lashed out anymore. Her loved ones didn't deserve her anger targeted at them. "Stupid." She cursed herself. "I'm so fucking _stupid_." And now she was angry at herself.

"What are you muttering about?" Jeremy appeared from nowhere and plonked himself next to her on the couch.

"Nothing." She mumbled, wondering how long her brother had been watching her. "Where's Anna?" She looked around the blond but couldn't find her anywhere.

Jeremy cracked a smile. "I persuaded her to wait in her car for the food to arrive."

Elena knew her brother loved his girlfriend, but she also knew he was gaining stronger feelings for Bonnie. "Poor Anna." She couldn't help but chuckle, it was a neat way to get Anna away from him. "What's she done to you?"

"She won't leave me alone!" He whined, throwing his head back against the couch. "She follows me everywhere. Like she's trying to persuade me she deserves my company." He shook his head. "I've told her she doesn't need to prove herself, but she still hasn't stopped."

Elena inwardly smiled. This she could deal with, maybe she wasn't good at dealing with her personal problems, but she could sort out her little brothers. "Have you been paying her enough attention?"

Jeremy turned his head to look at her, his head still resting against the couch. He frowned. "I think so."

"Define think so." Elena tucked her feet underneath her and turned to face her brother.

He pulled a face that showed he was thinking about her question seriously. "I took her to the cinema last week. We're spending lunch together tomorrow." He looked at his sister. "She seemed okay."

Elena thought about it, Anna was a clingy person, she had been with her mother when she was younger. But since her mother had moved away from Mystic Falls Anna had latched onto Jeremy. "Maybe she misses you. How often do you talk?"

"Often enough." Jeremy muttered.

"Well maybe you need a break from each other." Elena suggested.

Jeremy groaned, sitting up and putting his head in his hands. "We can't. She's coming camping with us." He rubbed his hands over his face before fixing his sister with a desperate look. "What can I do?"

Elena reached for her popcorn on the floor. "See how the holiday goes. Camping is intimate, especially if your sharing a tent. If it isn't working after a week, maybe you should break it off with her." Elena pushed the bowl at her brother.

He looked at it curiously and raised his eyebrows. "Popcorn?" He seemed partially amused.

Elena smiled a little in reply and half-shrugged. "Helped me."

He laughed and took the bowl in his hands, scoffing down a handful. "Yum."

Chuckling Elena scooped a handful from the bowl before he golfed down them all and popped one in her mouth. "Better?"

He nodded and smiled around his mouthful. "Thanks sis." He swallowed. "I'll see how it goes." He handed her the bowl back and looked towards the door. "I better go see how she's going."

Elena nodded and took the bowl back off him, placing it in her lap. She watched as Jeremy disappeared through the front door and into the warm evening air. She was grateful that the day had nearly ended, although the weather had cooled down somewhat it had taken everything out of her and she really wanted to rest her eyes on a pillow and go to sleep. She shut her eyes briefly and snapped them open when the front door was opened and Jenna walked through. "Jenna!" She called. Jenna turned to look at her and smiled briefly before heading for the kitchen. "Can we talk?" She mirrored her Aunts words from earlier and hoped she would listen. "Please?" She tagged on.

Jenna paused before nodding and wondering over to where Elena was sitting. "Is everything okay?" She also mirrored Elena's words from earlier.

Elena nodded and tried to smile. "Yeah. What's in the bag?" She pointed at the grocery bag that Jenna had in her hand.

Jenna glanced down at it. "Wine. We ran out." She smiled, if a little guiltily and shrugged.

Elena relaxed a little, so Jenna hadn't left the house because she was angry with her, she simply needed more wine. "What'd you get?"

Jenna smiled. "Surprise."

Elena smiled back, genuinely. "Looking forward to it."

Jenna placed herself carefully down on the arm rest of the couch. "Was there something you wanted?" She gestured at the bag before Elena thought she was trying to get away. "Only I need to get this to Ric."

"Oh." Elena nodded. "Yeah, sorry." She bit her lip and took a deep breath. "I'm really sorry about earlier Jenna. I didn't mean to snap at you." She was avoiding her Aunts eyes afraid of the emotion she would see. "It's just Damon being here and now him coming camping with us and it's so hot and-"

Jenna laughed and covered her nieces mouth. "It's fine." She smiled softly. "All's forgiven."

Elena removed her Aunts hand. "Really?" She hated how hopeful her voice sounded.

Jenna nodded and patted her on the shoulder. "I was never mad with you." She pulled Elena in for a half hug. "I understand how stressful this is for you."

Elena returned the hug and smile before pointing at the bag. "You better get that to Ric before he thinks you ran away with it or something." She teased.

Jenna nodded and smiled at her niece, standing up from the couch. "Food should be here soon."

Laughing a little Elena nodded. "Yeah. Jeremy's got Anna waiting for it to arrive."

"Oh, so that's why they were in the car." Jenna winked.

Elena pulled a face. "Yuck."

Jenna laughed and raised her eyebrows. "Don't blame me. They're teenagers." She became more serious as she stared at Elena. "So are you 'Lena. Don't you need a little fun? When was the last time you went out?"

Elena shrugged, her mood deflating again. "Probably since Mom died." She smiled guiltily. "I just can't seem to find anything in me that wants to go out with a guy."

Jenna smiled sadly and dropped the wine bag, pulling Elena in for a proper hug. "Don't worry sweetie. The right man will come along soon. I know it."

Elena tried to smile. "Are you sidekick all of a sudden?"

Shaking her head and picking up the newspaper from the table she threw it at Elena. "No, but your horoscope is." And with that, before Elena had a chance to tease her about believing or denying what was in store for her, Jenna picked up her bag and practically ran from the room.

Elena shook her head, holding the paper in her hands, her eyes finding the horoscope section easily as Jenna had obviously left it on the page. She found it weird that her heartbeat picked up as she read her paragraph: _Leo; Keep your mind open for new things. A new love may be making their way to you through unusual means. If you accept them into your lives, you may discover something you never expected. _Elena rolled her eyes at the typical vague horoscope that could be aimed at anyone. She dismissed it immediately and threw the newspaper down on the table at the same time the doorbell rang. When no-one appeared to be answering the door, it rang again. "Is anyone going to answer that?" She got no answer.

Frowning she climbed to her feet and walked to the door. She pulled open the door to find Damon standing on the other side. He was still in the same clothes from earlier, obviously having put up with the heat. He was smirking as always, his blue eyes seemed darker at night, almost a midnight blue and his hair had been carefully arranged into a mismatched style. "Why, Hello Elena." His voice was smoother too, Elena snapped herself to attention and shook her head. "Fancy seeing you here."

She glowered at him. "Funny." She glanced past him, expecting to see Jeremy and Anna in the car but they were nowhere to be found.

"Expecting someone else?" He seemed amused.

She snapped her attention back to him. "What? Um no. It's just-" She cut herself off, why did she have to explain herself to him? "Never mind." She forced a smile onto her face and opened the door wider. "Come in. Jenna and Ric are in the kitchen."

"I brought wine." He held up the bottle.

"I can see that." Elena rolled her eyes as Damon walked past her and looked around the hallway. "The kitchen's that way." She pointed in the direction of the kitchen.

He nodded, distracted, Elena frowned and stepped up to where he was looking. A picture of her and Caroline last year at their friends pool party. Elena was in a bikini and smiling suggestively into the camera. Damon turned to her and smirked. "Sexy." He winked before heading off in the direction Elena had gestured.

Elena shook her head as she watched Damon amble away. "It's going to be a long night."

* * *

_**A.N/ I DID IT! I DID IT! :D I managed to update on Sunday! I spent all day writing so I could meet my deadline for you all! I hope you all appreciate my hard work ;). **_

_**If anyone watches Supernatural I kinda quoted it in the chapter. Tell me if you spotted it ;D**_

_**Someone reviewed stating I had only updated four times in a year. I know and I feel awful, the past year my life has been rough and I have had to struggle and muddle my way through. Not going into details, I just haven't had inspiration to write. If you read my profile it says that I will never abandon a story, I promise. That will never happen. If I take a long time to update I will never give up. Pinky Promise! Anyway, I'm here for the long term now! :). **_

_**Drop a line, love to hear your thoughts. I had so many lovely reviews for the last chapter, and they all make me smile... so much my brother asked why I'm smiling so much! Keep it up, it creeps him out. Haha!**_

_**Thank you all for the support in my writing. Truly.  
-N**_


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